Talk to me about sarcoids

[Roxylola]

Bon has a couple, one on his sheath, one just in front. The one in front would band I think but the other is pretty flat. There's also 1 or two little warty bits in the area - so possibles, a few scabs up his neck that might just be scabs (I think they are).
So options currently
1) leave them - vet suggests this might lead to more and says treating would stop that. My understanding is its a blood virus, bpv, therefore more might or might not happen regardless.
He's currently on sarc ex as my thinking is it can't hurt.
2) Treat, vets say they usually send photos to Knottenbelt to advise on the best course of action but either laser or Liverpool will be around the £800 mark.
3) investigate bloodroot or thuja type cream. Bloodroot seems tricky to get hold of, you can get tincture though - maybe add to something like coconut oil or sudocrem to make a cream?
I'm leaning towards 3 followed by 2 but I'm open to other suggestions too

 

[exracehorse]

Banding is very successful. If there is a neck. The flat ones that look a bit scaly can very soon become aggressive if fiddled with. Especially with fly season. I’ve had lazer treatment on one that was on his inner stifle. Unfortunately it grew back. And gets slightly bigger each year. I’m leaving it alone. As doesn’t interfere with his tack.

 

[Roxylola]

Mmm, none of them are near tack and I've heard of cases where treatment seems to make them aggressive

 

[ihatework]

I take a very lax approach to it at the outset - unless easily banded (which I will do) I will leave them completely alone if they are dormant. I honestly believe fiddling with them increases the risk of them becoming aggressive.
I monitor them closely and if they start to grow and spread then I’d hit them hard with vet intervention

 

[humblepie]

Current horse just had one banded but vet not over concerned. Just monitoring. Previous horse had laser treatment as they were in an uncomfortable area. Definitely made him happier. He was in his 20s and lived a couple of years longer and didn’t have any significant re occurrence.

 

[paddy555]

without doubt 2. Send pics and find out what you are dealing with.
You don't have to pursue any treatment he suggests but you will then have the best idea as to what you are d/w and can make an informed decision.

 

[Roxylola]

I may consult with a different vet, I've experience of most locally but the one I use for jabs (zone days is free call out) isn't really my first choice, their go to in my experience is aggressive treatment for most things

 

[meleeka]

I’d get the one banded and treat the other ONCE and get advice about the other one. Vets don’t always go to Liverpool cream or laser and there’s other creams that can be used (Bloodroot is one).

I wouldn’t try more than one home remedy as it can make them suddenly very angry. Now isn’t really the time because of flies, so by the time you’ve tried your treatment it will be Autumn and a good time to look at more invasive methods.

 

[I'm Dun]

I take a very lax approach to it at the outset - unless easily banded (which I will do) I will leave them completely alone if they are dormant. I honestly believe fiddling with them increases the risk of them becoming aggressive.
I monitor them closely and if they start to grow and spread then I’d hit them hard with vet intervention

This is what I did. Mine had 2 flat ones. I stuck him on sarc ex and improved his diet and they both dropped off within 6 weeks. My plan had been to monitor unless they started to change.

 

[Melody Grey]

I would band the bandable one and then use a supplement such as Radiance Gold to boost immunity over a month or two and then reassess. IME they can be treated very well ‘from the inside’.

 

[catembi]

My 4 yo had a flat one about an inch below his eye which initially looked like a tiny tack rub, then it turned into another flat one, and another... Vet said to leave it alone & then laser if it got worse. I treated with cold sore cream, which reduced them considerably. After a few months of this, the horse went on full grass livery for a month and I didn't bother telling the YO about the cream as she was v busy & I was getting a good price, and what difference would a month make? When he came back, OMFG they had gone mental & my initial thought was to call the vet the next day & get them lasered. I knew it would be £800 +, but I was so shocked at the growth. Anyway, I calmed down & thought I would stick him on sarc-ex and put him back on the cold sore cream & virtually straight away they started flaking off again & we were back down to one. I don't know what happened after that as I sold him (people fully aware, had previously had him on loan & had the vetting report which mentioned it).

 

[paddy555]

I may consult with a different vet, I've experience of most locally but the one I use for jabs (zone days is free call out) isn't really my first choice, their go to in my experience is aggressive treatment for most things

without being blunt why? if they were a good vet I would expect them to refer.

Why not simply ask the person with the best knowledge?

my horse had a sarcoid close to his bottom eyelid. I thought it was a sarcoid, vet thought it was a sarcoid, 2nd horse vet who was there for something else thought it was a sarcoid. Due to the position something had to be done asap. The vet who first saw is was very very experienced solely with horses. However even with all his experience he realised an expert opinion was required.

Dr K looked at the pics and didn't know. It wasn't that black and white. He told my vet what to do, it was removed (no choice) and came back it wasn't a sarcoid.
To start with when my vet thought it was a sarcoid the treatment would have been far more brutal and the expectation it would come back maybe more than once requiring more treatment.

Fortunately for the horse the vet knew to get the best opinion possible before doing anything.

 

[Roxylola]

without being blunt why? if they were a good vet I would expect them to refer.

Why not simply ask the person with the best knowledge?

my horse had a sarcoid close to his bottom eyelid. I thought it was a sarcoid, vet thought it was a sarcoid, 2nd horse vet who was there for something else thought it was a sarcoid. Due to the position something had to be done asap. The vet who first saw is was very very experienced solely with horses. However even with all his experience he realised an expert opinion was required.

Dr K looked at the pics and didn't know. It wasn't that black and white. He told my vet what to do, it was removed (no choice) and came back it wasn't a sarcoid.
To start with when my vet thought it was a sarcoid the treatment would have been far more brutal and the expectation it would come back maybe more than once requiring more treatment.

Fortunately for the horse the vet knew to get the best opinion possible before doing anything.

It's not the fact they want to consult I'm more than happy for that. It's their approach generally. They aren't my first choice in general for treating anything for various reasons. I have other vets I'd prefer to use

 

[Littlebear]

I have only ever had one ever, that disappeared after several months on sarc ex religiously. The vet disregarded me doing that as an option but it worked perfectly and you couldn't find it if you tried now. The vet did suggest the lazer and after taking advice on here I held off and glad I did.

So personally, that's what I would do first.

 

[ponynutz]

To be honest banding or surgery is the only thing which completely gets rid of them.

We did option one for ages because she hadn't got a new sarcoid for years but out of nowhere she did and it got caught on something and then infected. Ended up spending more than it would have cost to just remove them in the first place as far as I recall. To be safe I'd go for option two (if I had my time again I'd have done that first too).

 

[visa_bot]

I used bloodroot cream on two horses, sarcoids disappeared leaving no scar and never came back. Maybe I was lucky. My vet suggested trying it. This was a few years ago and a tub cost about £50 so definitely worth trying to get hold of some.

 

[ycbm]

To be honest banding or surgery is the only thing which completely gets rid of them.

Can't agree there. I've got rid, permanently, of more than 30 without using either, though I have also banded some successfully. Some chemicals, including Liverpool cream and bloodroot (Newmarket cream) are very effective and recommended by vets. I use a caustic chemical that vets don't/can't/won't recommend and therefore I won't promote it, but it's never failed me yet.
.

 

[LEC]

I think the issue with sarcoids is the same as uveitis. There is a wide amount which falls into that description.
if it’s a fairly young horse I spend a lot of time improving their immune system with gut balancer and vits/mins. I also see if they change over a couple of months. If not then I tend to use bloodroot. Worked really well on one horse who I think just had skin lumps and not cancerous ones.

 

[Domirati]

As above. Very many different types of Sarcoid. Some clear up and some don’t. Some respond To treatment and some don’t. Some grow very quickly others don’t grow at all. My horse had one that grew in six months from the size of a penny piece to the size of a large orange. Hopefully yours will be fairly benign.

 

[oldie48]

As above. Very many different types of Sarcoid. Some clear up and some don’t. Some respond To treatment and some don’t. Some grow very quickly others don’t grow at all. My horse had one that grew in six months from the size of a penny piece to the size of a large orange. Hopefully yours will be fairly benign.

This really. I've been lucky, had a small one on inner elbow removed surgically as if it had grown it would have been problematic, it never came back. Rose had an occult on her inner thigh when I bought her and that disappeared over time. She had one appear just in front of a teat, which the vet literally popped when she was sedated to have her teeth done.

 

[alsxx]

Watching with interest, I've just discovered what I think are 3 of them on my 4 year old. Found a nodular one, about a cm in size on his inner thigh, and then found a teeny tiny, what feels like nodular one on his belly by his sheath, and next to that is a scaly patch.

I'm keeping an eye on them and debating when to speak to the vet. We aren't due any routine visits for quite a while and while they don't appear to be bothering him I'm just observing, but worried about the flies possibly starting to irritate them.

 

[oldie48]

Watching with interest, I've just discovered what I think are 3 of them on my 4 year old. Found a nodular one, about a cm in size on his inner thigh, and then found a teeny tiny, what feels like nodular one on his belly by his sheath, and next to that is a scaly patch.

I'm keeping an eye on them and debating when to speak to the vet. We aren't due any routine visits for quite a while and while they don't appear to be bothering him I'm just observing, but worried about the flies possibly starting to irritate them.

I think the one in front of the sheaf might be like Rose's (see pic above) fwiw I fed Rose turmuric for her occult, no idea if it helped but nothing to lose and the scaly patch could be an occult.

 

[Birker2020]

This really. I've been lucky, had a small one on inner elbow removed surgically as if it had grown it would have been problematic, it never came back. Rose had an occult on her inner thigh when I bought her and that disappeared over time. She had one appear just in front of a teat, which the vet literally popped when she was sedated to have her teeth done.View attachment 91543

My horse many many years ago had one of those on his throat. The vet removed it with a scalpel. He referred to it as an angleberry.
He cut it in half and let me run the scalpel blade over the centre, it was like sandpaper. He kept getting it caught on the barbed wire fence and there was a danger of infection from flies in the summer.

I made him a neck cover with some elastic from Mum's sewing box and some old net curtains. This kept the flies off and he lived happily with this around his neck for many days before it healed sufficiently to remove the curtains! That's how we did stuff in the 90's!

 

[Birker2020]

I remember the post about using toothpaste on them, that was on the forum years ago. That was very thought provoking.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I think the issue with sarcoids is the same as uveitis. There is a wide amount which falls into that description.
if it’s a fairly young horse I spend a lot of time improving their immune system with gut balancer and vits/mins. I also see if they change over a couple of months. If not then I tend to use bloodroot. Worked really well on one horse who I think just had skin lumps and not cancerous ones.

Can you please recommend what Gut balancer and vits/mins you use?

 

[ycbm]

He referred to it as an angleberry.

The old term for a ball type sarcoid, I haven't heard it for years.

 

[J&S]

My coloured mare on the left developed sarcoids along her tummy when she was 5 years old. we found them when she was clipped that autumn. i used a vet who was also a homeopathic practitioner and he first prescribed thuja pills which got rid of most of the little "buttons" in a few days, howver, one remained and became enlarged and the vet froze it off. He prescribed a homeopathic sarcoid prevention tablet made up specifically for this mare and I fed her this for at least three years, tailing it off to a couple of times a week and completley dropping it off over time. She has never deveolped any more and is now 25.yrs old.
I have seen a pony who was treated with Liverpool cream and it was not a pretty sight, it did work in the end though. I think it is a little bit down to luck and the constitution of the horse being treated as to what works. I hope you find the right treatment.

 

[LEC]

Can you please recommend what Gut balancer and vits/mins you use?

I use science supplements gut balancer. By far the best around for active ingredients. Vits and mins I am less fussy so just tend to feed a powder form rather than a balancer.