I got My Boy out of his pasture on Saturday. As I was leading him through the lawn to the grooming area, he keep shaking his head in irritation. I figured it was bugs since it was a warm, sunny day and they were swarming.
I tied him and started grooming and he started rubbing the right side of his head on the rails like he was really itchy. I walked around to his off-side to see if there was something else bugging him and there it was.
{caution- semi-gory picture ahead!}
In all it's bumpy glory.
The sarcoid is back.
Ugh. Yep, my sentiments exactly, My Boy!
Are you kidding me? I thought for sure we'd fought it and that it was a goner forever. It even left a dry, flaky scar and I hadn't seen any sign of the sarcoid since last summer. In fact, I was just looking at this scar last weekend while brushing his face, it was flaking a little as he is shedding. Maybe I jinxed it.
My Boy's starting setting a new trend- a forhawk (forelock/Mohawk.) Obviously I need to decide if I'm going to clip this missed bit of bridle path or hope it grows out long!This one is a bit higher than the last one (you can see in the gory picture, the lower part that is kind of gray is where the one from last year was.) He has been rubbing the sarcoid, causing it to bleed a bit. The white stuff on it is actually a little aloe vera cream I rubbed into the outer edges to help it not itch.
I went ahead and treated it with the Xxterra I had from last summer, since it had already changed quite a bit in a week. If it's a faux sarcoid, the Xxterra won't do any harm, it doesn't effect normal skin. I called the vet and left her a message, we need to schedule spring shots so I will talk to her more about it then.
I know, I didn't want it to come back either, Pony Girl!My Boy's new joint supplement is in a flax seed base, which is what the vet recommended to feed along with the Xxterra treatment (or canola oil.) The omega-fatty acids somehow work with the topical treatment to jump-start the horse's immune system to fight off the sarcoid.
I'm lucky that My Boy is a good trooper about letting me mess with and medicate this sarcoid. I'm going to sweeten him up after each treatment with a lot of treats and carrots, to make the experience as positive as possible because as I remember- the sarcoid gets pretty nasty as it sloughs off!
The only bright spot of happiness of the weekend is that I don't think I am imagining it- he does seem to be moving a bit better! He is still not sound and certainly not the horse he was last summer, but, I can notice a difference from a month ago!
One step back one step ahead. Too bad about the sarcoid hope it just needs another round of treatment and is gone
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe that the sarcoid came back when you texted me yesterday! I wish it would have been gone forever. Hopefully the treatment works, it should since it did the last time, and hopefully it will never come back!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you caught it early. Will you email me what the name of the joint supplement you are using is. I've noticed that King has not wanted me to touch this one spot on his leg, is not warm, but maybe he needs more than what he is getting. love you, auntie
ReplyDeleteGood news and bad eh.
ReplyDeleteI know a lady who drives a cute little welsh pony who has a HUGE one in her ear. She put zinc ointment for diaper rash on it and she said it helped it from getting dry and cracking open or oozing like your boys is.
{Sydney}~ I can be thankful he has not gotten any in his ears. That would be a nightmare to deal with! Paint Girl told me a horse at the barn is impossible to bridle over the ears, and it's because he had sarcoids in his ears and had to have surgery. Poor guy!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that babe. I know how you worry so much, but it will be okay. Seems like they all have their issues. HUGS!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean....the dreaded sarcoid! Our quarter horse Sonny had one in his eyelid that gave us quite a scare. Our vet removed it only to have it come back with a vengeance and grow to almost the size of a golfball. The vets at UT Vet Hospital recommended Chemotherapy injections directly into the tumor every 2 weeks for about 3 months. It broke my heart to see them do it...they would lightly sedate him then inject the chemo deep into the tumor directly through the eyelid with a HUGE needle. Sonny was so good though...you could tell it hurt so bad, but he would stand and let them do it, only flinching every now and then. But it's like he knew they were trying to help so he tolerated it. It took a long time for the chemo to work, and just when the vets thought they were going to have to remove the eye, it started shrinking and went completely away. You can't even tell by looking now that he ever had that nasty thing in his eye. And, he had no damage to his eyeball or eyesight which was amazing. I am so paranoid now though, I am constantly checking his eyes, mouth, ears, and everything now. They told us that it is very likely that he could get more, or that the one in his eye could come back as he gets older. I hope My Boy's heals up quick and doesn't come back! I swear, it's enough to worry us to death! :-(
ReplyDeletehttp://horsefilleddays.blogspot.com/
That's terrible! A horse I used to have had them in his ear and I ended up getting him a one ear I could just unbuckle when he needed it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find a good treatment that works...
I was just thinking about that the last time I looked at his picture on your blog hoping with all my might it wasn't going to come back...I about passed out when I saw it. I am sending you both good thoughts that it will heal soon and the little beauty will be sound and over that ugly thing!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that! Hope it heals forever this time!!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was over forever. Sorry to hear it is back, but it sounds like you have a plan of attack!
ReplyDeleteBummer dude-- hope this one beats a hasty retreat for good.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the sarcoid. Darn it.
ReplyDeleteWindy has little forelock. Her only hope of having one is if the mane grows in the bridle path & we do a "comb-over" jobber. So I let her bridle path grow out a couple years ago & it was funny looking for awhile, too, but didn't seem to take too awfully long.
Gees!!! I was just feeling sorry for myself having to treat this proud flesh issue on Red's fetlock that is FINALLY going away with Wonder Dust (the miracle powder)--and then I read this. I'm so sorry it's back, but at least you know what it is and you're on top of it, and like you said, thank goodness it's not in his ear or his EYE (like above).
ReplyDeleteThat sucks. A lot.
ReplyDeletePoor baby. Do you think it could possibly have anything to do with the time of year? I hope he heals up before you want to take him riding, that and his creaky joints. It sucks to get old sometimes, even if you're a horse!
ReplyDeleteLove his new "do" though!
Oh darn it!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that is reoccurring!
I pray that Wa's "Bloodwart" I had taken off does not come back too...they had to cut so deep to remove it the first time... Well, hope that the nice Omega's and some new grass will help him with the fight soon!
Ha! "Forhawk" made me chuckle it up!
KK
{Sares}~ Don't know if spring time has anything to do with it, I doubt it, although it is pretty coincidental. The first teeny tiny bump (like an insect bite) he had showed up in august, but nothing evolved or changed with it until the following spring, when it got considerably bigger. Maybe the spring shed/itching caused him to rub it and irritate the spot? I will have to ask the vet for more information about sarcoid re-occurrences.
ReplyDeleteOh rats! I'm sorry that nasty thing has returned.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if his halter irritated it. I see in most pics his halter is on all the time. The location looks like it may get some occasional rub from his halter.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought
I just wanted to add my comments to the above, poor MB, I hate sarcoids. My friend's horse gets them on his belly, so of course, if they're where the girth goes, she can't ride him. He's had all sorts of treatment, but nothing seems to really work. Thinking of you (and MB, too!)
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not glad the sarcoid is back, I'm glad it's not on his belly, where my mare's was. She got so cranky as that thing sloughed off, that she kicked me in the shoulder once as I doctored her. It got where I had to pick up a front foot and hold that while I put the medicine on because it hurt her so badly. maybe the second time will do the trick and you'll not have to treat him again.
ReplyDeleteWhat joint supplement are you currently using?
When I was reading your March 26 post, I noticed something in that first photo of My Boy eating, and it made me think that something was going on in that area, but I didn't want to say anything, because I hoped I was wrong and just seeing things. Darn.
ReplyDeleteCould it just be that he's rubbed it and has torn the skin open? It looks more like a cut than a sarcoid in that top photo.
Well, at least I hope so anyway.
One of the horses I've posted about in the past on my blog (the one in the photo of the spotlit arena), named Caesar has a cancerous ear that has been a long term struggle with trying to get control of.
Another blogger friend told me about using Blood Root on cancerous growths on horses, supposedly it kills the cancer cells, but it can also be very dangerous to good cells, too.
What a shame it's directly in the bridle's path, too.
~Lisa
{Lisa}~ Actually, Xxterra does have Blood Root in it, and zinc...and something else. It has already started working, the sarcoid is for sure a sarcoid because I noticed today it start sloughing, and if it was just a scrape, it wouldn't do that. It's getting oozy and icky underneath, and the scab will slough off in the next few days. I'm sure MB is NOT thrilled. He's been a good boy for me, though! He knows I have carrots, LOL!
ReplyDelete