sarcoids

[Tiarella]

i dont know much about them, but my pony has two sarcoids on his sheath, one is quite small, but one is much larger, looks like a giant wart. can they kill the pony if they dont get removed (obvs i will get them removed btw

) but i was just wondering. and what actually are they?

 

[kellyeaton]

sarcoids are some kind of skin cancer. no i dont think they can kill but if they become big or infected you horse can come very uncomfortable. some will get sarcoids but never grow either

 

[Butterbean]

My 22 year old pony has a big crop of sarcoids growing on his sheath. They are unsightly but they have not caused him a problem. They have been growing slowly for the last 5 years or so. Vet checked them initially and his advice was not to do anything with them unless they seemed to be causing a problem (e.g. with urinating), as it could cause more pain & discomfort removing them. I just keep an eye on them in case he seems sore.

So you might not need to get them removed, best to get advice from your vet.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Difficult topic rachaelstar. Some suspicious patches LOOK like sarcoids but are just warts, some look harmless but turn out to be nasty sarcoids. Sarcoids are indeed a form of skin cancer but most of them are don't spread round the body like most aggressive cancers do. The problem is that if they are in a difficult place (ie where the girth goes or on the eye or stopping the horse peeing) then clearly something has to be done but often surgical intervention can just make them grow back worse. Take care what you put on something that you suspect is a sarcoid. Many people put over the counter creams on that are designed to help skin regenerate. This is not necessarily a wise thing to apply to a cancer, since (very crudely) cancer is where the mechanism for cell regeneration has gone haywire. The best advice is to visit Professor Derek Knottenbelt's website that is all about the various types of sarcoid, what they look like, how to treat them and what the prognosis is. It's brilliant and very easy for a lay person to read and understand. Good luck x

 

[Flibble]

It is said tha t Thuja will help in some cases and as its homeopathic and internally taken it is worth a try.

 

[samstar]

my gelding has one on his sheath, vet told me just to keep an eye on it. hasn't grown at all over past year and is not bothering him. Would only get it removed if it grows in size.