Please Calm My Fears & Tell Me It's A Wart...

[Sunshine*]

:o Here are some pics of the lump on my horse... It's been there for a few months now.. & before anyone jumps down my throat about not having a qualified vet out let me explain.

WHen I first noticed it, I got my boss to look at it... he's been in the horse business for about 40yrs & has seen it all... he told me to put some bag balm and fly spray on it. I did that and a few weeks later, it was bigger... So he told me to stop with the BagBalm and fly spry to let it dry up and let the flies eat away at it.

Over the last month, it has gotten considerably smaller. If I see a piece flaking off I take it off. It doesn't hurt him AT ALL... I can poke and prode at it and he just stands there. There is NO puss, but if he scratches it enough it will bleed a bit.

I had two Vet Techs look at it when they stopped by and they both said it was a wart and gave me ways to get it off... Here's the thing.. I don't want to try anything and have me mess it up more... Thanksgiving weekend(Canadian) I will be having a vet out to check it out. I just wanted to know what your opinions are on it...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/SunshineStang/HorsePics006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/SunshineStang/HorsePics007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/SunshineStang/HorsePics008.jpg

[chev]

That looks an awful lot like what Lili had. Which was a sarcoid.

If it's not causing any problems (like getting in the way of tack) it might be best just left, but be careful about letting flies at it. It could get infected and spread that way.

I would get a vet to have a quick look to be honest, and use a good repellant in the meantime.

[Bozzy]

I'd also say it looks like a fibroblastic sarcoid.

[Dolly_Brat]

That to me looks like a sarcoid. A few horses at the yard i visit have had/have one. One of the horses was huge. It was under her belly and bled often. She had treatment so it grew back and has been left alone as it doesn't bother her. Then one mare had a tiny one on her girth and her owner had to wait for it to drop off until she could ride again. I'd get it checked by a vet just to be on the safe side!

[Jessey]

Bo had something like that, our vet looked at it and said that it was a wart (a sarcoid is a type of wart, a bit like a verucca) but the way he decided if anything needed to be done was to try and feel the root, a sarcoid is a bit like an ice burg, there is often twice as much below the surface as there is above which can sometimes cause issues, where as a standard wart is a surface problem. As with Bo he couldn't feel any root below the skin he said it was fine to leave it alone, he had ot for about 18 months then it just went, with a sarcoid you can feel a solid lump under the skin and depending where they are they sometime need to be removed but do often come back.
I was also told not to pick it or brush over it and if I did to wash my hand/brush as once the top is broken you can spread it to other healthy skin by contact, again like a verucca.

best of luck

J x

[Sunshine*]

Bo had something like that, our vet looked at it and said that it was a wart (a sarcoid is a type of wart, a bit like a verucca) but the way he decided if anything needed to be done was to try and feel the root, a sarcoid is a bit like an ice burg, there is often twice as much below the surface as there is above which can sometimes cause issues, where as a standard wart is a surface problem. As with Bo he couldn't feel any root below the skin he said it was fine to leave it alone, he had ot for about 18 months then it just went, with a sarcoid you can feel a solid lump under the skin and depending where they are they sometime need to be removed but do often come back.
I was also told not to pick it or brush over it and if I did to wash my hand/brush as once the top is broken you can spread it to other healthy skin by contact, again like a verucca.

best of luck

J x

OH OH OH This is nice to hear!!!!! There is nothing below the skin.. it's surface only!!!! Okay.. not going to get too excited...

Thanks a ton everyone!!! I needed to hear that it could be worse then a wart... I've done a lot of rescearch on sarcoids and nothing really about it other then appearance seems to be the same...

Okay.... I have to go back to college today and won't be able to see Dakota for almost two weeks :eek: The next time I see him I will assess the size to see if it has grown or not.. then a call to the vet will be made!!

Thanks everyone!

[Caroline Cole]

Defo a sarcoid.Warts and sarcoids are the same thing as far as I know.

There are lots of conflicting views over using Camrosa ointment for Sarcoids.

It does get rid of them in the cases I have known but sometimes they come back.

Vets suggest surgery I think.

[Bozzy]

Here is a good site regarding sarcoids.

http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/sarcoid/facts.htm

There is a difference between warts and sarcoids.

[CrazyMare]

I would get a vet to check it out, just in case as you can never be too sure! :D

[Caroline Cole]

Oohh yuk! After reading website ..

I am pretty sure yours looks like a sarcoid, but I stand corrected about the wart/sarcoid being the same theory that I thought was the case.

There are some pretty good pics on that site---*grimaces and starts to feel sick*

Caroline :eek:

[chev]

Vets suggest surgery I think.

Not always - in fact in most cases surgery has one of the lowest success rates of all.

Treatment depends heavily on the type, size and location of the sarcoid, the medical history, whether the horse has already had an unsuccessful or successful treatment for a sarcoid, and what laboratory analyisis shows.

It varies a lot not just between the various types, but also between individual horses.

That's why it's vital to have a vet check it out.

Lili's sarcoid had no 'root' - it was simply a lump that formed on the site of a graze. It didn't go down into the flesh at all. But biopsy results showed without doubt that it was a fibroblastic sarcoid.

A forum like this can give you personal experience, but it cannot replace a vet's visit, or even diagnose sarcoids.

[lyndyful]

my friend in her 60's keeps rescued horses which when i was little i used to help her with.i've now decided to go back as she really needs the help around the yard and its only her with 6 horses.since we'r on the subject of sarcoids, the horse im about to look after has really bad sarcoids, he even has one over his eye and has to wear a hood padded in cotton wool.she really doesnt have the money for any kind of special treatment at all and either do i to help her out so i was wondering if any of you guys would know about the daily care i should be giving him.is there anything at all that i can do or will everything be expensive?

[Sunshine*]

Okay.. I've called the vet and he is coming out on Monday.... Send good vibes my way... I really don't have the money for any big treatments...... LOL