worst case of sarcoids??

Yes, I have seen one worse than this - what was more distressing for me, was that she was a broodmare, sent to us to foal down! This was 15 or so years ago and the mare was a HOYS winner and owned by a renowned breeder/judge of show horses. When the poor love foaled, we had to seriously supplement little Clive's diet with bottle feeding (stomach tubing initially by the vet), as the mare's udder was so covered in open and oozing sarcoids, that Clive was only able to latch on to one teat, but he sometimes got it wrong... We weren't allowed to take him off the mare and hand raise him. It was awful :(
 
Janetgeorge what did the treatment exactly involve with your horse as would be very interested to know. Do you know if they are still using this form of treatment?
 
pc2164 said:
Janetgeorge what did the treatment exactly involve with your horse as would be very interested to know. Do you know if they are still using this form of treatment?
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It was about 4 injections of a drug that destroys the immune system - over about 10 days - can't remember the name I'm afraid (I DO have the original bill from Liverpool somewhere but it would take a month of Sundays to find it!) At the time, the then owner was told it had a 50% chance of working. I'm not sure if the owner was warned of the risk of the horse picking up infection until he'd had a chance to rebuild his immune system - I'm sure she WOULD have been - but it didn't sink in and the horse was put back in contact with others with no precautions taken.

I don't know if it's still used - I think at the time it had only been used on about a dozen cases - it was definitely a treatment of 'last resort'!
 
I am very sorry for this horse, I believe that you have cared for him, but he must be very sore and uncomfortable. I would not be putting him through any more treatment. If he were mine he would have been pts a long time ago.
 
I would send your photos and email directly to professor knottenbelt. PM me if you want his email address. He is extremely helpful and will get back to you straightaway. I emailed him today with some questions about my mares laser treatment and ge emailed me back within 30 mins!
 
My friend's mare had worse. They started off as a small one then when she was in foal they just multiplied and were horrendous. They were between her hind legs and all under her belly. She was advised that liverpool cream couldn't be used due to the foal & used camrosa which imo made them even worse. No one had seen such a bad case. It was like you imagine a tumour inside and the sarcoid the tip, well these had turned inside out if you get my meaning. Covers were made to keep the flies off and allow the foal to drink, she was carefully monitored. Foal was weaned at 4 months & the mare pts. It was very sad as she was a lovely young mare. You would never believe one sarcoid could turn into the mess it did. Having seen what it did to her I would never underestimate or mess around with sarcoids:(
 
elderlycoupleindevon said:
I am very sorry for this horse, I believe that you have cared for him, but he must be very sore and uncomfortable. I would not be putting him through any more treatment. If he were mine he would have been pts a long time ago.
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100% agree with this. It would certainly not have crossed my mind to ride him, ever :(
 
My friend's horse had sarcoids on at least this scale of not worse for years until he was pts at 29. He competed and was ridden daily. She had the largest ones removed I think 3 operations in total over the years. It was a big responsibility for her to cover him with creams and lotions to ensure his comfort. She tried every remedy going to no avail.

I think it's hard to judge and say he must be so uncomfortable, lesions like these often look dreadful but do not cause the level of discomfort one might expect.
I would let the vet be my guide and as the horse's owner you must know if he is uncomforable or not.
 
YasandCrystal said:
My friend's horse had sarcoids on at least this scale of not worse for years until he was pts at 29. He competed and was ridden daily. She had the largest ones removed I think 3 operations in total over the years. It was a big responsibility for her to cover him with creams and lotions to ensure his comfort. She tried every remedy going to no avail.

I think it's hard to judge and say he must be so uncomfortable, lesions like these often look dreadful but do not cause the level of discomfort one might expect.
I would let the vet be my guide and as the horse's owner you must know if he is uncomforable or not.
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This.

There's a lovely coloured gelding on our yard with sarcoids at least as bad as this, if not worse. His owner rescued him as a foal (skinny, wormy, covered in lice) and his first sarcoid appeared when he was about 18 months old - he is now 17. None are where tack can rub. He is ridden three/four times a week, owner has been in contact with Knottenbelt and has her own vet out to him regularly to band the bigger sarcoids. She has tried every remedy . . . the sarcoids always come back.

They are unsightly, smelly (sometimes) and a pain to keep clean . . . but she perseveres. And every single time her vet comes out to him, she asks him "is it time . . . " and every single time, her vet says "he's the picture of health, his coat is shiny, he is well-covered, he is bright/happy/cheeky in himself . . . no, it is not time."

Honestly, I don't know how she perseveres - but she does . . . and I know how much his condition distresses her . . . and how much she worried about what other people who see him out hacking must think.

Please don't judge so hastily.

P
 
Thank you for all the supportive and informative replies I have received from my original post, and reassuring to know that we are not the only ones going through a case as bad as this. He has not always been as bad as this so I find it quite upsetting seeing people have written that if he was theirs he would of been put to sleep a long time ago. Very easy to judge when you just see a snapshot of what he is like now.

I would be interested in having Prof. Knottenbelts e mail address to see what he would say about this case.

Thanks again
 
I remember reading about a chestnut mare who had the worst sarcoids anyone had ever seen (at the time). She was cured by a homeopath who used the horse's own sarcoids as a base for a remedy which stimulated her immune system to fight against them (in the same way that deadly nightshade, for example, is used as the base for some generic remedies).

If you know of a reputable homeopath in the area it might be worth a go. You've got nothing to lose.
 
I'm pleased you have got some advice from him. He is extremely dedicated to helping horses and their owners. Good luck with it all.
 
farrierswife said:
He has not always been as bad as this so I find it quite upsetting seeing people have written that if he was theirs he would of been put to sleep a long time ago. Very easy to judge when you just see a snapshot of what he is like now.

I would be interested in having Prof. Knottenbelts e mail address to see what he would say about this case.

Thanks again
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I'm perhaps just a little surprised that Prof Knottenbelt hasn't been consulted on this case before it got this bad and/or liverpool cream treatment was not considered or used at an earlier stage.
 
ester said:
I'm perhaps just a little surprised that Prof Knottenbelt hasn't been consulted on this case before it got this bad and/or liverpool cream treatment was not considered or used at an earlier stage.
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We have used liverpool cream on him before, I spoke to my mother this afternoon and photos have been sent up to him previously via the vets. The liverpool cream worked on a few of the sarcoids and they dropped off but they have since re-grown and are more aggressive now.
 
Thank you, he is the sweetest pony you could ever meet!! Bought as a 2 year old from a riding school, who told us he was 5 years old (niave first horse owners that we were) and been with us ever since. I call him peter pan horse...the horse that won't grow up, he is such a big baby :)
 
Just thought I would share this photo too as I have just been looking through a few photos of the lad in question. This is when we had just bought him...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=5200&pictureid=19066

picture.php


and this is him now

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=5200&pictureid=19016
 
I really hope you find a cure for your lovely boy. It is clear you love him very much. Things look to be at a point where decisions need to be made, extensive and painful treatment or PTS, each unpleasant to think about, but with raw ulcerated sarcoids that must be sore and painful IMO something needs to be done sooner rather than later, surely they will progressively get worse without intervention. I am so sorry your beautiful boy has developed these sarcoids so intensely but really hope, one way or another, he is freed from his pain. His eye looks very sad to me, that is what upset me.

Please keep us updated and fingers crossed it will be good news. xxx
 
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