Lympho Sarcoma BHR

[Ms THE]

I just found out that my 9yr old TB possibly has Lympho Sarcoma. The vet was out to see him this am and is 95% sure that is what it is. He has been fine up until last Wed, he went off his grain and was just dull. Gave him some banamine and he was fine. Saturday he went off his grain but again seemed better with banamine. Sunday again off grain gave banamine, but this time no better. Gave hime some alfalfa which he picked at but then seemed to have trouble swallowing it. Upon further inspection of him, found his chest and between his front legs extremely swollen. There are no signs of trauma anywhere and he isn't painful in that area. This morning he has a squeeky cough. My vet feels that it is effecting the lymphnodes near his trachia (sp?). He has pulled blood and will know definately in the morning. He has only seen this in large horses, draft and draft crosses, my horse is a big 18H TB. Has anyone had experience with this? My vet said it isn't treatable. I did some research on it and I found some herbal remedies. I am pretty much lost right now and I guess you could say in shock

 

[Hosscrazy]

Yes, my horse Krystle had lympho sarcoma at age 13. I have no idea what the cause is, but I'm glad you're running blood tests to see what you can find.

Best wishes,

Liz R.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]So sorry your boy is so sick.....hope you can find something to help him.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Ms THE]

Liz,

Did your horse survive? I found a website for a place in the UK that has an herbal remedy for this. My vet said that he believed it to be untreatable. He said sometimes in dogs, but in his experience never in horses.

 

[Hosscrazy]

If possible (yeah right), try not to worry until after you get the blood test results back. I know...easier said than done. In my horses' case, her blood came out normal. Her only symptom was mild diarrhea in the morning (it was fine at night). We were trying to treat the diarrhea when she started to crash. I got her to the hospital immediately and she passed away at the hospital that night. It was not until they did the autopsy and in the intestinal fluid that was sampled, that's where they found that she had lympho sarcoma. She had always been healthy, no history of this in her family - nothing.

We never had a chance to try to deal with the illness, as we did not know what was wrong at the time. My personal opinion as a horse owner? I do not see any problems with non-traditional therapy (i.e. herbal, etc.)

Keeping you in my thoughts...

Liz R.

 

[Ms THE]

Thank you Liz, this really came out of the blue as he was totally fine up until last week. He is really losing weight quickly (in last week) and it is hard for him to swallow, I think that is why he is off his feed. He isn't drinking either and I am worried about impaction or dehydration as his manure is very dry. I just have a bad feeling, he is a sweet guy too, a big puppy dog

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Oh dear... So sorry to hear this. Your post brought back a lot of memories and emotions. Hopefully the blood work will show it's NOT Lympho sarcoma.

I've not had a big horse diagnosed with it, but I lost my Shetland driving gelding to it several years back. The same year I lost him, I also lost two dogs to the same thing. My horse vet, my dog vet, and several state and local agencies were all perplexed and I was devastated. We never could determine a common cause, although my dog vet recently told me he's heard chatter that 2-4-D may be a culprit. We've since discontinued using it, and hope our 'cluster' is over.

The pony ended up colicking the day he was diagnosed, due to a 'strangulation tumor' around his intestines. With the pony (Onslow) and the second dog to get it (Rowdy), it was very very fast. Rowdy had it in or near his salivary glands.

I did try all kinds of treatments, eastern and western, with the first dog diagnosed (Grunt); his was also intestinal. Too many treatments. Grunt lingered too long because I wouldn't give up.

I'll be praying that it's not lympho sarcoma. It's not fair that animals have to suffer these diseases. {{{HUG}} for you.

 

[Ms THE]

I just wanted to update this post, unforunately Goliath will end his suffering tomorrow at 2. He has deteriorated so quickly that it isn't fair to make him continue. He is having trouble breathing and swallowing already and has developed a jugular pulse. My vet consulted with New Bolton they gave him a protocol to follow but it isn't helping. I also consulted with a friend who is a also a vet and she said the treatment does not cure him, it will only put him in remission if it does anything at all. I went and visited with him last night and I could just see it in his eyes, its like he knows he can't win this one. This is probably the hardest decision I have had to make but it is best for him. He has trouble just walking in from the field and the swelling is starting down his front legs and around his sheath. I have made arrangements to have him creamated as I cannot bury him at my friends farm and I don't want him sent to some rendering plant, he deserves better.

 

[Hosscrazy]

I was thinking of you this morning, and was so scared to ask if you had gotten the results back...

I am just heartbroken for you...he is so young, and it's just not fair. Krystle was only 13 when she got it - her 2 year "anniversary" was just last Sunday.

I hope you're able to provide some comfort to him (bute or banamine). And I do hope you are not alone tomorrow - if you can get a family member or friend to be with you, that would be good for you, too.

Take care, big hugs...and I am so, so sorry...

Liz R.

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Oh no. I am so so sorry. You and Goliath are in our thoughts and prayers.

 

[SunQuest]

I am so sorry. I was hoping for a better outcome. It is always the toughest of choices, but I know that you are doing the kindest thing for him if he is doing so bad.

Hugs to you and you will be in my thoughts and prayers as you face this situation with Goliath.

 

[Ms THE]

After I posted last night my friend that owns the farm called me to warn me the G didn't look well, she wanted me to be prepared for when I got there. I called my vet and he met me out there along with the man from the cremation service. He is no longer suffering. My vet couldn't believe how fast he went downhill from Monday. His associate had been out to see him Tues and Wed to treat him. He was gasping for each breath and he was sweating just standing there. My vet did not think he would have made it through the night. I cried on the way to the farm and cried when he left but on my way home I had a sense of peace knowing that he wasn't suffering anymore.

MEADS BAY

"Goliath"

1996-2005

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]So sorry for the loss of your sweet boy..... but Im glad you have a peace about helping him pass.... God be with you in your sorrow knowing he is free from pain at last.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[lvponies]

I am so very sorry!!!

 

[Hosscrazy]

I am so sorry...

When Krystle started to show signs of lympho sarcoma, she crashed within 24 hours. Even at the hospital, on supportive therapy, and with the vet at her side working to keep her alive, she apparently took "one last breath" and laid her head down and died in the vet's arms. There was nothing that could be done...

I wish this was one of those things that we could say "oh yeah, here's what our vet did that helped our horse" - some sort of learning experience, like there is with colic, choke, laminitis... In my experience, there was no learning from this...just sadness...

Godspeed, Goliath...may you run free of pain...

Liz R.

 

[sedeh]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I had to put down a beloved quarter horse at age 10, it was so unfair to lose him that early. Goliath is no longer suffering and eventually the good memories will be stronger adn more comforting than the bad memories of the past few days. My prayers are with you.