Sarcoids - past and present experiences

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Peggs

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I've just had my boy diagnosed as having a occular sarcoid. It's very small and the only one I can find at this moment in time, knowing my luck he will be covered by this time next year. I'm not joking - any horse I own I seem to curse. I have had such bad luck over the years there's not enough space to post about it and I'm seriously getting to a point of throwing in the towel so I don't put any more horses at risk and for the benefit of my own mental health that has deteriorated a lot over the past 6 months.

If people are willing to share their experiences I would be very grateful, selfish I know but it's comforting in someways to know I'm not alone.
 
They're the little flat ones aren't they? Just get it treated. I had one with one of those. Vet sent pics to Liverpool and treated it 3 times with full strength Liverpool Cream. It went crusty, dropped off and never came back. Simple. He also never developed another. It cost less than £300 to treat.
 
I bought a horse with a small one on his neck and a small one on his sheath.
He was delivered with a small tub of Liverpool Cream. They fell off shortly afterwards (funnily enough after he had antibiotics for ringworm, don't know if that had something to do with it) and they've never re-appeared. I've had him nearly 3 yrs now.
So don't panic yet.
 
I have treated 2 very successfully with the Global Herbs cream.... i bet people think I work for them but honestly I don't! I have just been amazed. You can see pics in my profile. I also keep him on turmeric, which may or may not be a coincidence but I took him off it and he developed a new sarcoid. about 3 weeks of cream and it had gone totally but I have put him back on the turmeric.
 
Sorry for seeming like a drama queen. I think it was the straw that broke the camels back this morning, the camel has received treatment and is now feeling a little better, although still emotionally and financially injured! Lol

I will read up on turmeric, I've heard people talk about it, but rather poo-pooed it a little bit. It certainly requires further research :)
 
I have mine in sarc-ex at the moment and it is working on 3 tiny warty sarcoids. Just started the 2nd tub and they are definitely reducing.
 
I used a combination of Blood Root and Feedmarks Sar-Void with excellent results. Sarcoid was very aggressive and had quadrupled in size within 2 weeks. After treatment it went from the size of a golf ball to a small pink, raised lump. It is being closely monitored at the moment but hasn't grown or changed since xmas now when treatment ceased. This was against the vets wishes who suggested Liverpool treatment but I decided as this horse was not insured and didn't cost me alot I wouldn't go down this route (And see below previous Liverpool) Vet is now very happy with how it is looking.

My older loan horse is on borrowed time right now :( He has 2 large nodular and a huge cluster of mixed sarcoids extending to around 8-9" wide on his flank. We are not doing anything about them (Vets decision) and if they go Fibro, due to the location and his age it is game over for the poor fella. He is comfortable although they do restrict his movement a small amount behind but manages the odd walk out every few days.

Regarding Liverpool cream. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. About 7 years ago we had a hunt horse treated for a small sarcoid on his inner groin. This animal was beautiful to deal with in every way. He was the sort that if you were having a really bad day you could sit in his stable and have a good moan and he wouldn't be bothered. He was an excellent hunter, bought as a 4 yr old and and was a masters horse by the time he had done his first season.

Within a week after treatment you could barely get near him without a twitch and within 3 weeks you had to literally throw a bucket of feed into its stable. It took us 3 hours just to get a headcollar on him one day and had to be sedated to turn out. He was thrown in the field to try and bring him back round. After 2 months you could just about catch him in the field but as soon as you went past his girth area he would turn into a horse possessed. Double barrelling, teeth bared. He was shot a few weeks later. I promised myself that I would never put another horse through it again.

I know plenty of people who have had it done with great results but it's not for me.
 
Depends on
1. size of the sarcoid (I know you said small, but that's very subjective..)
2. change history (has it just appeared? is it still growing?)
3. location (whereabouts on the body? Is it having side effects e.g. irritates horse, can't use tack, causing lameness)
 
I've had several horses with them over the years, of different types and treated in lots of different ways.

All treatments were successful, don't panic just yet.

Also just to say we had a very sensitive mare who had a few, we treated with Liverpool Cream with no problems or after effects whatsoever.
 
Mine had a different type to yours - he had a nodular sarcoid on his sheath. I bought him with it and the vet squeezed it out soon after. After a month or so you couldn't see where it had been and he has been sarcoid free in the 14 years I have owned him. He does now have melanomas under his tail though :(
 
smja said:
Depends on
1. size of the sarcoid (I know you said small, but that's very subjective..)
2. change history (has it just appeared? is it still growing?)
3. location (whereabouts on the body? Is it having side effects e.g. irritates horse, can't use tack, causing lameness)
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It's smaller than a 5p - around 1/2-1/3 the size, so small. It hasn't changed in 2 months and it's on his sheath and doesnt seem to bother him at all. I've spoken to the Prof at Liverpool and he has been absolutely amazing and I can't speak highly enough of him

Will give one of the supplements a try, even if it doesn't work least I have tried.

Has anyone tried echinacea? I used it once with a yearling that just didn't seem to be thriving and really worked.



Thank you for the advice and experiences, it does mean a lot! I've been googling Liverpool cream and now totally scared of using it on my guy as his personality is so nice :/
 
My mare has just finished a course of Liverpool cream (over the last week and a half). 3 applications to two small verrucous sarcoids on her face (each about the size of the nail on my little finger), 5 applications to a larger occult sarcoid (about inch or so diameter) which has been there several years and has a large root (vet could feel lumps under the skin outside the perimeter of the visible sarcoid). So far she has tolerated the treatment well, she was a bit tender when the last couple of applications were given, but no more than shuffling a little. She seems generally ok in herself. She is a TB who can have a short fuse.
I was nervous about the treatment, however I felt I had to respect Prof K's expertise and advice. Something that swayed it for me was his explanation that removing the sarcoid reduced the risk of developing another since the flies bit the sarcoid then transfer it by biting elsewhere on same horse or other horses.
After the first application the areas swelled up then after the next couple of application the areas started to scab up.
I am happy to update you and perhaps post pictures if interested.
One thing is if you put off treatment, like I did, and it grows, you need more applications of the cream (and maybe a stronger concentration of the chemical)than if treated sooner.
Whatever you do I would keep covered up with fly rugs etc as best as you can.
Good luck
 
I'm definitely not going to leave them, being in the early stages better now than later, you also read my mind Reacher as I've been googling fly/sweat rugs madly tonight to find one that will offer the most protection - more so than the one he has now!

I have been looking into laser treatment as the alternative to the cream, there is a clinic in Buckingham that offer it and they're only an hours drive so potentially take him there for treatment. I just don't want to chance ruining a beautiful horse with a kind temperament when there could be an alternative option that may work just as well...
 
Peggs said:
I'm definitely not going to leave them, being in the early stages better now than later, you also read my mind Reacher as I've been googling fly/sweat rugs madly tonight to find one that will offer the most protection - more so than the one he has now!

I have been looking into laser treatment as the alternative to the cream, there is a clinic in Buckingham that offer it and they're only an hours drive so potentially take him there for treatment. I just don't want to chance ruining a beautiful horse with a kind temperament when there could be an alternative option that may work just as well...
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FWIW: Laser was suggested by our vet for the old horses sarcoids I'm my post. We have decided not to go down this route either as he is an older horse who stresses during travel and due to the size and mixture of sarcoids, success wouldn't be high and may even make them worse. He's been an excellent servant to us over the years and owes us nothing and so he will out his remaining years/months/weeks in a field full of grass. We just don't know how long he has.

I have however, heard very good reports about it. Good luck whatever you choose.
 
Good luck with whichever option you choose.
Do try not to worry too much as I don't think either laser or Liverpool cream treatment will be unpleasant if sarcoid is in early stages so not large or deep root. (You sounded worried etc in your first post and as a depression sufferer I empathise).
Regarding fly rug, I attached extra material to my one to cover the sarcoid as best as I could as it was just in front of the belly flap (located on girth area).

Peggs said:
I'm definitely not going to leave them, being in the early stages better now than later, you also read my mind Reacher as I've been googling fly/sweat rugs madly tonight to find one that will offer the most protection - more so than the one he has now!

I have been looking into laser treatment as the alternative to the cream, there is a clinic in Buckingham that offer it and they're only an hours drive so potentially take him there for treatment. I just don't want to chance ruining a beautiful horse with a kind temperament when there could be an alternative option that may work just as well...
Click to expand...
 
Peggs said:
Thank you for the advice and experiences, it does mean a lot! I've been googling Liverpool cream and now totally scared of using it on my guy as his personality is so nice :/
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My now 5-year old had LC treatment for a small (about 2 mm diameter when the vet first saw it, which was a few hours after I first saw it but it had grown to more than twice that size by the time we started treatment a few weeks later) nodular sarcoid on his inner thigh, last autumn. Vet was worried about using LC in case it damaged a blood vessel underneath but Prof K was very much of the opinion that we needed to hit it as hard as possible to minimise the chances of it spreading and LC was the best way of doing that. He had three applications, didn't need sedating. I'd read the horror stories too but that was totally not my experience.
 
Mine had liverpool cream for 3 very small sarcoids under his eye and iridium treatment for a very agressive sarcoid above his eye, under the watchful eye of Prof K, touch wood 5 and a bit years later and we are still ok! I religiously use a fly rug and mask, no supplements were used past or present (or not sarcoid specific). I did try sarc ex but he wouldn't touch it.
 
My homebred 3 year old finished his treatment of Liverpool cream about two weeks ago. He has a large one on the Base of his ear, two in his armpit and one on his sheath. He was seen 5 times in 8 days (about every other day) my vet decided to sedate him for the first three applications because he's only young, flighty and a big chap. By the time of the fourth application we just used a twitch, mainly to keep him still but because the cream was working my vet said he shouldn't be able to feel it now as the sarcoids were essentially dead. He didn't bother at all. We're a couple of weeks on now and all they sarcoids are doing 'something'. The one on his ear is coming away around the edges and you can see pink healthy flesh underneath, it is also very dark, hard and half the size. The ones elsewhere are a little swollen and are starting to scab. The vet did a yard visit yesterday so I added him on the list as I wasn't sure it was working on the ones on his body. Vet took a look and said they look perfect and I will go up one day and they will have literally fallen off.
During the applications he had some bute in a feed and I just gave it to him when I thought he was sore. He wanted to rub his ear but it hurt to do so. One bute later, fine. It hasn't changed his character or trust in me or other humans, and I'm actually slowly slowly starting the backing process now.
The only negative for me personally is that the vet said because the sarcoid on the Base of his ear as quite a root, he may lose the ability to move his ear as normal. Although they were impressed yesterday to still see it moving as normal. Fingers crossed for a fully functioning ear!
Mine isn't insured, and I think my bill came to around £450. That includes sedating, application and all those call outs. Long story short I had a quote for laser surgery and it was about £700 at Liverpool (I'm not too far away).
My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. He's had these for about a year (not much change in them) and I spent so long trying this and that. If/when he gets another I'll be calling the vet straight away and getting it sorted.
 
Thank you for the replays, it's very interesting to hear differences on what worked for some and not others.
The wife - I'm sorry I never expressed my condolences about your boy - I did in one of my replys to the thread but then deleted it as it made no sense whatsoever so started over and omitted to put it back in! But I'm so sorry what happened to your boy and your story actually really made me think whether to use the cream or not and after reading how other horses have reacted I don't think it would suit my guy. I'm also basing this on the strong gut feeling I have that I can't ignore.

I had the vet out to discuss options and what to do. At present they are very small and I have seen little or no change in 2 months. Two marks which I expected were also sarcoids were confirmed, both are also very small (less then a few of mm) if I knew how to add images I'd pop some pictures up of them!

So the outcome after discussion with the vet, it has been decided to go for an immune boosting vaccination, some positive results but as it appears with any sarcoid treatment not overwhelming success, still always worth a shot. The practice I use apparently doesnt use LC very often anymore and instead they use laser the majority of the time. Due to the fact he'll be cut into and possibility of infection from flies it was opted to leave until October. After sleeping on it I am not sure I'm happy to leave them that long, due to the risk of spread by flies. I've order a super fly rug, leaving him in during the day, will cover with fly repellant and add garlic supp (never thought it worked that well but will do anything to keep the flies off!).

I'm also going to go down the route of echinacea to boost his immune system and sarc ex supplements.

I was also thinking of trying to apply/giving either bloodroot cream/ thuja cream and tablets to them whilst we await a good time to laser them off.... Slightly concerned about fiddling with them too much and aggravating them and I also need to research a little more, I would worry that if they do get rid of them superficially whether the root had been killed and they won't reappear more aggressively :/
 
Peggs said:
Sorry for seeming like a drama queen. I think it was the straw that broke the camels back this morning, the camel has received treatment and is now feeling a little better, although still emotionally and financially injured! Lol

I will read up on turmeric, I've heard people talk about it, but rather poo-pooed it a little bit. It certainly requires further research :)
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There's a FB page called Turmeric Users Group- you just ask to join the group. It's overseen by a vet and there are lots of success stories about turmeric and sarcoids. Good luck!
 
Controversial as it may be - I have had huge success with using crest toothpaste on sarcoids. I've had occult sarcoids shrink to nothing and hair regrow and one nodular sarcoid drop off completely and one shrink to a fraction of the size it was. Also the flies avoid it. Cheap as chips!
 
I've used both Liverpool cream and laser in the past as well as having treatment injected into the sarcoid. I would now go for laser every time if it was an option, it looks like a horror show when first done but they recover so well from it with minimal scarring. Was also much cheaper than LC, I had 5 lasered off for £250 plus charges for bute and antibiotics.

Good luck and try not to worry x
 
Hi,

I had my boy done with Liverpool cream and it was only partially successful and he had a big open wound for 4 months. To treat the remainder (the sarcoid was quite large) my vet is trying the injection instead. The first injection has reduced in considerably and we are about to do a second one which should hopefully finish it off. It is much quicker and easier than Liverpool cream and no side effects (hopefully the second will go as well).

Good luck!
 
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Well a bit of an update, things seem to be changing. I think mostly it's good but not going to speak too soon!!

The little nodule has gone flat and has just left a tiny hole, about 1mm if that. The largest occulant has lost all the hair that surrounds it, not really sure what it's doing and the other teeny tiny ones are that small I can't see what's going on lol!!

So the vaccine and supplements seem to be causing some changes, I'm not feeling too euphoric quite yet though!
 
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