sooo P....d off - new boy's got sarcoids.

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Bert&Maud

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I bought my new horse 10 weeks ago, he passed a 5 stage vetting. A week or so after I got him home I noticed a small scab on his side, and assumed it was a spot. However, I called the vet this week as I was concerned that it hadn't healed properly, and she's been out today and confirmed my fears that it looks like a sarcoid. There's also another small one on the inside of his thigh. She's sent a bit off for confirmation, but has recommended Liverpool cream for them, because they are still small and new, and only two single ones, she feels that they will respond to treatment. So, first of all, anyone any experience of Liverpool cream? Also, as she says, I must inform the insurance company because even if I don't claim at the moment, if I do in future the vets report will have today's date on it and they will query why I didn't notify them. I am with NFU, and when I claimed on my other horse (just got lou for kissing spines - not having much luck am I?) they only paid for treatment for up to a year - and I understand that now he has got sarcoids they are likely to recur - so does this mean I am facing huge bills after the year is up? Also, this horse was probably not going to be with me for life - he's 6 and I'm 50 - work it out - and the plan was to get his career well under way (hopefully RC dressage and jumping, not showing although he might do some working hunter) so now I'm also worried about his value and saleability. So any comments, observations and experiences will be very helpful.
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Whn my mare had suspected sarcoids, i notified the insurance company, even though i didnt claim in the end and they pretty much immediately eliminated 'lumps' from the policy. B@@tards. I wrote many letters but eventually managed to have 'any lump appearing in the same place' put on the policy rather than all lumps (that was with NFU) May be worth arguing.
 
eventersrus - the spot was tiny when he arrived, and he had a trace clip, the spot is above the line of the clip so hidden in his coat, I think the vet would have had to feel every inch of his body to find it.
 
I know sarcoids have this 'oh no its awful' type lable, but my mare had one that came and then went... ok she might get them later in life but so might any other horse... anyway id recomend camerosa ointment... magic stuff! I wouldnt be put off a horse if it had a minor sarcoid as long as it wasnt in a place wher it could affect the horse.
 
I don't think they have been treated in the past, the one on his side is still only 1/2 the size of my little fingernail, and the one on his thigh I only noticed a few days ago, it just looks like a spot or a bite if you're not suspicious. A different vet, I bought him from a yard in East Sussex and he now lives in Wiltshire.
 
Sarcoids do come in different places, at random times.... unfortuantly on the thinner skinned areas normally which is why they sometimes cause a problems. The vet said it can be costly to apply the really strong cream as they have to do it themselves ( callout every time... ouch) Im sure unless you are blessed with a bit of bad luck that they will go away... and wont cause any harm... no horse is perfect afterall....
 
Liverpool cream, My vet had to apply it every time. It did work, but a bit of cream got rubbed onto another piece of skin, leaving a mark, so be very careful.
 
I've had a few horses with sarcoids; they don't bother me in the slightest. I've always used Camrosa on them and they disappear within a couple of months, no big deal. None of the horses I've had have ever had the sarcoids come back again and my guys I have/had for years and years after treatment.

I just bought a mare with a sarcoid on her cheek. Have just re-ordered some more Camrosa as hubby is in England right now so can bring it home with him. I don't expect the mare's sarcoid to still be there by the time we start competing her this Summer.
 
Ok firstly is it where tack goes?? Because my mare had a 'scab' on her side and when it didnt heal up at all after a few weeks I was pretty sure it was a sarcoid. We got the vet out after a while to have a look, and he said it probaly was a nodular sarcoid but to leave it be. Sarcoids when removed or biopsys taken can become more agressive and spread/grow. If its not on an area where it will rub then maybe just leave it. The liverpool cream is just scary !! I recall a vet phoneing up a client telling her not to go near it as it will burn her fingers off
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But Im sure the cream works well
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Anyway here is a pic of my mares suspected sarcoid ...
Its on her side just below the corner of her saddle clothe
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i'm in exactley they same situation, vet didn't notice anything during the 5 stage vetting and then as soon as he gets home we find the horse has got a sarcoid on his tummy.... we have tried creams which haven't work so we might have to resort to freezing it off as it is to close to his girth area for comfort..
 
Hi Tass,
My mare had a sarcoid when she was about 5 yrs old. I bred her from my other mare and I sold her to a lovely person at 11 yrs. What I am trying to say is that after we got it treated, we never had any more appear. I had to get a photo of it to my vet and they sent it off to Liverpool, to Derek Knottenbelt (I think thats correct) and he sent over his cream. The vet then had to come out about 3 times and apply it to the sarcoid, and this was one nasty big sarcoid, between the thigh. The cream was brilliant, and it killed the sarcoid from the outside, til there was just a tiny thread in the middle and then it just dropped off, leaving a tiny scar. So if you have the cream, don`t worry, it works. Good Luck.
 
Thanks all! I knew I'd feel better about this once I'd asked you lot! Bananarama, it's just about in the same place as yours. Vet has taken photos to send off to Derek Knottenbelt, and I will go with whatever they suggest. Do they have to have time off work while they are treated - bearing in mind neither sarcoid is anywhere near his tack or areas which will rub?
 
ermm, think probally not. Unless of course it has to have genral anethetic to have it surgically removed, then maybe a day or two I don't know
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But seriously if it isnt bothering her then you may just make it worse
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Well good luck anyway I hope you get it sorted out
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hi, ive had 2 horses with sarcoids, the most recent was between the back legs and was so big that is was affecting the horse walking, on both occasions i have used a friend of mine that uses herbs, you use the herbs to dry it out, then if its big you tie it with cotten to cut the circulation off it drops leaving no scar no nothing,

if you would like to pm me i will give you a contact number, my vet although has to be careful in what they say is very impressed with the results, (he digonosed both horses) im sure hed answer basic questions about before and after, im happy to give out numbers and more info but by pm,

the course of herbs cost 20-40 quid for a course, they also fight infections ect, and as they are all natural there are no side affects.

the liverpool cream is chemotherpy cream, pretty nasty stuff.
 
A few months after I bought my Arab a couple of lumps appeared near his girth area (in his armpits as I would call it). Our vet at that time diagnosed sarcoids and made it sound as though my horse was worth nothing and that they were the worst thing that could possibly happen to him and that in the worst case senario he could die from them!!! - I was really upset to say the least! She decided to cut them out and the result was awful - they looked dreadful! She left the practice and another vet suggested trying the Liverpool cream - it didn't get rid of them, so finally the vet froze them off (with liquid nitrogen I think) and it worked! That was 4 years ago and they haven't returned! We've also had a fly bite on our thoroughbred develope into a sarcoid that also had to be frozen off. After speaking to our current vet I don't get too worried as he says a lot of horses have them and in most cases they can be controlled to a certain degree.
 
DOnt use Liverpool cream on something that is small and not causing a problem, it can be blooming nasty and sore!! The best stuff is a cream called Bloodroot cream. My horse came up with a small "scaly" area between his back legs, and I had an "oh my god" moment. However, got vet out, got a pot of this (wasnt expensive!) and the sarcoid has gone and nothing has come back at all. No scarring no nothing. Used Propolis cream on the "wound" the cream left, and it is absolutely impossible, even for me who knew exactly where it was to distinguise where it was. the cream has also worked well on a friends horse who had more serious sarcoids, they have also dropped off without a trace where previously he had to have them frozen.
 
My boy has a sarcoid and we have been told to leave it well alone. It hasn't changed at all since we found it. Just wondered what people would suggest. I known sarciods be treated and then come much worse.
 
I think you can be lucky or unucky with sarcoids and no telling really. One horse had one successfully treated with Liverpool cream never to return, the other horse had to be retired from work as they kept appearing on her girth line and nothing would shift them (though there are better treatments today than at the time)
 
Personally for something that size and if its not causing any interference then I would leave well alone. If it gets bigger have it frozen off, it really is the most effective way of getting rid of the little ones. And a lot cheaper than liverpool cream, which will cost youa fortune. Watch out for bloodroot, its self applicating but very messy and if your not very carefull can lead to alot of non replaceable hair loss around the area.
 
It really appears to be a matter of luck if they go and never come back.
There are several types of sarcoid
Occult Sarcoid - rough surface and often slightly thickened skin - hairless and slow growing. Interference with these sarcoids can lead to a period of rapid growth.
Verrucous Sarcoid - Dry, horny and cauliflower-like and hairless
Nodular sarcoid - Under the skin and in areas where the skin is thin such as around the eyes
Fibroblastic Sarcoids - Can look like proud flesh, it can be firm and nodular and its surface may be ulcerated.
Mixed Sarcoid - This is a mix between Fibroblastic and Warty sarcoids

It is considered that flies can spread the sarcoid over the horse, and some vets recommend keeping horses away from flies during the summer.

I really believe that they are spread by flies or some other means as there are now many more horses with sarcoids than there were, say, 20 years ago.
 
My horse had the cream from Liverpool about 10-11 years ago now. The first vet dabbed it on v. gingerly and it didn't do much. the second vet I had really rubbed it in and they all cleared up after a couple of treatments and have never come back BUT it is (or was then) very nasty stuff. It really caused each area to swell / burn, and the treatment was every other day for a week. He was on bute and needed sedating by the end of the week, so no riding for a week or 2 around treatment. It's not very nice but definately worth it as my horse was ony 4 or 5 and it could've really spoiled him. (my first vet mis-diagnosed them so some of the lumps were quite big and stubborn by the time they were treated.)
 
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