Warning. Blood be in this post. Squeamish avoid.
See the first post on his sarcoid, and his hoof for more of the background on his sarcoid and hoof Injury. Plus, if you have not read earlier blog posts, there is no time like the present.
His sarcoid, as you may recall, started out like this.
Well, mostly like this. This one was taken after the ulceration started. Prior, it was just a flattish weird spot on his cheek.
Taking the advice of Amazing Coach (which is generally the right thing to do!), I bought Immune Builder and SC Formula from Balanced Eco Solutions (just across the boarder in Washington!). Ron, the founder and company owner, and a vet himself, was very helpful. I sent pictures to him and he determined the course of action. I am a real, actual, paying customer giving a real, actual review. As much as I would love to get free stuff, I do not. Amazing Coach is also just a customer, no affiliation with these products or compensation in any way.
https://www.balancedecosolutions.com/
Initially, Immune builder every 3rd day and topic SC formula every day made it worse. Anytime you start treating a sarcoid they get angry. People quit bc they look worse. Do not quit at this point. The product is not “feeding” the sarcoid, the sarcoid is fighting back. Your horse‘s immune system is recognizing the invader finally and the process has begun. Continue at all cost.
some days were better.
Some worse
The actually size of the area became much more apparent as the hair fell out and more bumps appeared.
The area became quite large.
It was much much larger than it initially looked.
After consulting with Ron, we upped him to every day for the Immune Builder. He looked forward to it, happily biting it off the popsicle stick and I continued putting the SC Formula on daily.
Anytime it was dirty, I cleaned it with the cleaning solution, but otherwise did not use that. Keeping him in a fly mask helped greatly during this time! He wore it 24/7 for most of the summer.
Then things started to change. Slow at first, the smaller bumps disappeared, hair started to regrow, the largest bump was decreasing in size. The smaller bumps disappeared.
By the end of September, it was basically gone!
I like this one showing progression! May / July / Oct.
I continue to feed him the Immune Builder. I will keep him on the stuff for another few months and see what happens. I have also gone to every couple of days of topical on his cheek. I am not convinced all the cells are gone yet but the hair has grown in on the majority of the area. Until that one small area where the worst part was looks completely normal, I will continue treatment. Plus, I bought more of the stuff so I may as well use it!
Now for his hoof update. As you may recall, he stepped on himself which went right through the Coronet Band and hoof wall, exposing Laminae.
It stayed wrapped for 2 weeks. Gorilla tape is your friend. A pricey friend, but a worthwhile one.
And wrapped plus bell boots for turn out
Dutifully, the wrap was changed every day after his grass turn out (he was able to go out alone in a small field thankfully!). The vet did not actually want him out so we compromised and I attended daily at turn in to see to him. When I was not there “(Road Trip, and Then There Were 3“ happened in the middle of this), barn staff and EGC stepped in to take up the slack.
to recap, it started like this.
There was much concern over how it would heal. But we did not need worry. As his breeder said “he’s hardy!” In fact he never took a sore step on it. He did however, have two weeks off while it healed a bit. He also missed the big gold show. It was not worth the risk! In the end, it rained (torrential rain / wind / cold / horrible storm) most of that show and we were glad to have sat it out.
After a couple of weeks it looked like this.
The vet rechecked it and he was cleared to go back to work! I was to keep it dry and clean. this was not a problem as the barn he is at has great drainage and his paddock (in/out) is never really wet. Plus his stall gets tidied twice a day and he does not, as a rule, use his stall as a bathroom or step in his poop much.
We were worried about how the Coronet band would heal. Would it scar? Would it look like a 1/4 crack as it healed?
No! The Coronet Band healed nicely and is looking normal. The “hole” is always dry and pretty clean. The vet left iodine for it, but I have. not really needed it.
This one was taken at 6 weeks from injury
The hoof wall is actually growing in at the side which is weird to see. Now we wait to see how it grows out as it progresses down the hoof. There may be a bit of a scar left, but likely it is only something any future farriers might question.
He is back at work and enjoying life. At least he is more educated than last year and his colder weather exuberance is controllable. I can mostly refocus his energy into less destructive activities under saddle. I did actually create this inadvertently by correcting him with the stick in my right hand when he sucked back. When he kicked at the stick, I kicked him forward.
Being more civilized and working on straightness.
Not looking forward to the cold weather ahead, but looking forward to him progressing. Technically he did a beautiful flying change yesterday. Unfortunately I was working on counter canter at the time and he had a spook at another horse in the ring causing him to decide to change. But it was straight and clean and lovely. I am looking forward to more of those in the future!