treatment for sarcoids

[sarahponymad1]

i have had the vet to my welsh c today for a huge lump above his eye that turns out to be a severe sarcoid the size of 2 golf balls!!!!, he has said that there may be nothing they can do to treat it other than the liverpool cream!...but this may not work so i am after some other options please help any info will be greatfully received, as the vet has said if the liverpool cream is not an option or dont work then i might have to make a very hard decision

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Bloody hell! How did it get to be the size of 2 golf balls before you sought veterinary advice? There's a huge amount of info on sarcoids already posted in the Forum. Do a search on it and you'll get a ton of advice. The best thing you can do is read Prof Derek Knottenbelt's definitive guide to sarcoids. Google his name and "sarcoids" and it will come up. Treatment of lumps like your horse has depends on getting an accurate diagnosis in the first place. And that accuracy is usually only possible following a needle biopsy of the suspicious lump. Has that been done by your vets? If not, are they 100% certain it's a sarcoid and not something else? Many suspicious lumps turn out to be warts or lumps that often disappear of their own accord. Is your horse young? Sometimes warts can appear on young horses because the horse's immune system isn't fully mature. Juvenile warts disappear of their own accord as the horse gets older.

If your vets are certain that it is a true sarcoid, then often the best treatment (for a small and inactive sarcoid) is to leave it strictly alone. Many sarcoids are so slow growing (or not growing) that the horse dies of old age! However, some sarcoids can be very aggressive. Have you tried to self-treat this sarcoid? Whatever you do, don't pick at it or apply over-the-counter creams that say things like "aids rapid skin healing because a sarcoid is a form of skin cancer and the absolute last thing you want to do with a cancer is encourage it to gow more. Tea tree and aloe vera products are a serious no-no.

Read Prof K's info, check with your vets re the diagnosis then go with what they recommend. If your horse is insured you should be covered for the treatment but sure as eggs is eggs, you won't be covered in the future! Liverpool Cream has about the highest success rate for true sarcoids but I'm doubtful because of the sheer size of your horse's sarcoid. Other options include freezing, surgery, BCG injections. Discuss it all with your vets. It's a real shame you didn't talk to your vets a lot lot earlier. Good luck.