Horse has a "sore" on face that will not clear - not even with vet care.?

Palameno horse has a "sore" that will swell up and then burst open and nothing seems to work at healing it. It is right along where halter lies so he hasn't worn a halter in two years. Vet says it is not teeth %26amp; usually gives antibiotic shots plus cream - it has not cleared up in 4 years with 3 different vets trying to figure it out. It didn't even clear when he had a septic joint %26amp; received antibiotic shots twice a day for 5 days plus antibiotic mixed in with feed. Any ideas on what to do? This horse is very gentle and actually a little girls pet, but we can't get him good %26amp; broke for her because he is so sensitive about his head.

Horse has a "sore" on face that will not clear - not even with vet care.?
Has any vet taken a skin sample of the "sore" and sent it to a reputable lab or university for diagnosis......there's something that is preventing this from closing.....a small tumor, a septic area, a bone infection, etc.....





You need to pursue this further....as it can become cancerous.


Cancer is always a concern with an area that refuses to heal up.
Reply:Sounds like a sarcoid cancer... strange that the vet hasnt picked it up... a sacroid is usally just a skin caner which is very localised and once healed wont pose any more probs... however there are a few ways to get rid of it... one get the vet to surgically cut it out or burn it of using cryo... or you can try different things to put on the wound... first of all all the "wet" products arent going to help.... many people have different ideas about what will work... we have personally used sulfa powder and just sprinkled it into the open cut (once it has been cleaned out)... but you can use all sorts of things.. there are even sarcoid creams... (if it really is a sarcoid and it really sounds like it is not healing for 3 years - i'm shocked no vet has picked it up as they are quite common) well good luck here are some links





http://www.sarcoids.co.uk/questions.htm - THE BEST ONE


http://www.willamettevalleyequine.com/sk...


http://www.xcodesign.com/aaep/displayArt...
Reply:I totally agree with the troll---get it to a lab and stop guessing. It could be something very serious --- like cancer. It was the first thing that came to my mind. I am sure the vets have thought of this. If you are trying to save money by not doing this----forget it. You have to. If this was a sore on your little girl what would you do??? If you have a vet hospital where you live --make an appointment there. I have choices of Michigan State and Ohio State.There , they have the capability to do what ever is needed at one place. Just do it. They always have finance terms available.
Reply:I would have a vet biopsy that if you already haven't.





Chronic open wounds that never heal, usually signify cancer or something along those lines.





Ask for a biopsy and if inconclusive, get a second opinion.
Reply:I lean to cancer too.





Friend had a horse that had an "abcess" on her jaw, that just would not heal. Vet out constantly for it, meds out the wazoo. then mare began a weight decline, that could not be stopped.


Finally, had it biopsied [sp] it turned out cancerous.
Reply:Sounds like a sarcoid tumor. first of all call another vet and ask him to biopsy the sore. Or better yet call your university vet hospital and see if they will see him and take him there for diagnosis. I guarantee that they will find what is wrong.
Reply:Hello





Could it be an allergy? If so, dermatitis can be treated with apple cider vinegar. Just apply it to the wound. I had a horse who had hives because of allergies--it worked for me.





I would however becareful not to give too many antibiotics--not good for the horses stomach. Also creams tend to keep the horse's skin moist--you want the area to dry up.





I know this sounds disgusting but if you could pick the sore (horses have proud flesh) and then clean the sore with the apple cider vinegar. Try to wipe it with the applec cider vinegar daily until you see it drying up.





Feeding your horse is important. Again my one horse cannot eat any processed feeds (sweet feeds or pelleted feeds). I feed oats, ground flax, sunflower oil and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar --keeping it natural.





Also garlic can be added to horse's feed. Garlic is natural sulfur. Good for stomach issues.





Becareful if you change the horse's feed. Do it slowly and use small amounts.





Good luck. I hope this works.
Reply:My first thought was the answer everyone else has said, and am amazed that 3 vets have not considered that diagnosis.





The poster that mentioned apple cider vinegar means organic apple cider vinegar, not the stuff in the super market.
Reply:I know that the vet said no to the tooth thing, but he may have just meant that the tooth isn't coming towards the outside..... the tooth could have grown into the sinus cavity, as it would cause the same symptoms as your horse has. Does this area have an odor? The periodic antibiotics may be keeping it somewhat under control, then they they are finished and here it comes again...even though it may not even be a tooth, sometimes a horse will run into something and cause a bone chip to enter into the sinus cavity and cause the same thing...a quick xray, if it hasn't been done, would certainly show exactly what is going on or rule out a lot and leave pretty much one path to follow for the diagnosis, I would think.





EDIT******Someone mentioned that it doesn't respond to antibiotics...no one really knows, because antibiotics have been given for other things and then stopped...the inflammation and drainage seems to come and go, so this situation may just be somewhat responding to antibiotics, but they stop, so here comes the swelling, busting and draining again. I have also seen (don't laugh) strangles come out at the oddest places and if someone is giving antibiotics for another reason, it could slow down the drainage and make the wound appear that it is healing, then when the antibiotics stop, here it rears it's ugly head again...that's why is it so important to time your antibiotics correcty if you are dealing with strangles...it could lead to bastard strangles, and yes...it comes out in the face, on the hips, legs, anywhere it decides to come out and drain...and the occasional antibiotics that have been given for other things over these last few years could just keep it down, then let it flourish again.
Reply:It could be one of several things, but it's important that proper tests be run. A culture should be taken to see if this is an infection like an abcess and what is causing the infection so that the proper antibiotics are given. Abscesses sometimes require surgical treatment to completely clean out the diseased tissue, but then the healthy tissue can grow back and you usually get a decent cosmetic effect.





Another possibility is that it is a cancer like a melanoma, which light colored horses are prone to. If an infection is rulled out, a biopsy should be taken to test for malignancy. Unfortunately horses that get one melanoma are more likely to get them again, but with proper treatment there is no reason that the horse should not live a healthy and comfortable life.





Either way, after four years and multiple vets without a proper diagnosis or resolution, there is more that can and should be done for this horse. Have your vet contact a facility with a large animal research clinic, like a university with a veterinary sciences program. They have researchers who may know something that a local vet might not and will have access to more advanced treatment than the local vet.
Reply:given that it does not respond to antibiotics i am guesing it may be one of two things....


1) there is a foreign object in the wound that makes it so it wont heal.


2) it is a cancerus growth...either benign or malignant.


i am going to google non-healing equine wounds and see what pops up. will let u know.