Slick's ear, again

[Loren&Rocky]

My mini Slick has had a bad case of ear plaque for many years. Well, we have a new vet now and he thought it would be a good idea to biopsy it and find out exactly what it is and maybe there will be a treatment that will work. Freezing it didn't work, Dermafas didn't work and antibiotic cream didn't work. The vet cut out 2 pieces of the nasty stuff and will be sending it to a dermatology lab here in WA. So, in 3 to 5 days we will have the results. Maybe then we can really treat it. This time it is costing my over $300 just for the lab work and biopsy, and I don't know what the treatment will be, but I think I am doing the best thing for Slicker.

Poor boy first got gussied up for the event. I wanted to keep his "Fro" out of the way.

Loren came along with some chicks for him to see.

Then the vet came and the drugs kicked in.

and more digging in the ear.

and a bloody mess that required stitches.

"Don't ever do that to me agian!"

 

[kaykay]

I had a friend whose horse had this and it was the same virus that causes warts. Heres an article

ennifer Weber

Holt, FL (Pensacola area)

Dear Ms. Weber,

There are a couple of conditions that cause wart-looking lesions in horses similar to the ones you described. The first and least problem causing possibility would be a true wart, caused by a Papilloma virus, similar to the virus that causes warts in people. For these warts, removal and/or freezing them off can be the cure. However, the virus that causes these warts will stay with the horse for the rest of his life, and there is the potential for the warts to regrow. Warts are usually not harmful to the horse and are only an eyesore for you, the owner.

Another possibility for your horseÕs lesions would be a type of tumor called a sarcoid. This is the most common type of tumor in a horse, and the ears are one of the common locations for the tumor to occur. They usually do not spread to other areas of the horseÕs body, however they can be very locally invasive, meaning they will invade the areas around it, damaging the normal anatomy and possibly function of nearby structures. This type of tumor could eventually invade the ear canal and affect his hearing.

When sarcoids are removed, they have a high incidence of regrowing. When they regrow, they are usually larger and more invasive than they were before the first removal. To potentially cure sarcoids, several treatments must be used together. This would include surgical removal as well as another therapy such as freezing (cryotherapy), immunotherapy, topical chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. There is no 100% guarantee for a cure because even if one cell of this tumor is left behind, it will regrow. If your horse has a sarcoid, and depending on where it is on the ear, amputation of the ear pinna may be the only way to ensure complete removal of the sarcoid.

The only way for you and your veterinarian to know what you are dealing with is if one of the removed lesions is sent to a diagnostic laboratory for evaluation of the types of cells that make up the lesion. Then your veterinarian will be better able to formulate a treatment plan for your horse.

Thank You,

Dr. Lowder

 

[mininik]

Youch! Hope he's feeling better soon.

 

[SampleMM]

In response to kaykay's article. My western pleasure mare had sarcoids on her neck and my vet recommended applying Nolvasan an antiseptic ointment manufactured by Ft. Dodge. After three weeks of applying Nolvasan liberally every day the sarcoids were completely gone and have been gone for 3 years now.

I sure hope your horse's ear get better!

 

[muffntuf]

Yes I was reading up on warts today myself and what Kay posted is pretty close to what I read. It's a virus and the stuff in the ears, the plaque is a virus. I have read that it is caused by the horses immune system not able to fight it off.

I called my vet today to talk to him about one of my horses, and he is of the opinion it will go away with time. Except, this horse is slated to be shown.

So - I asked him to look up an immune booster shot. Some horses are said to respond fairly quickly, others its still just a time thing before they get over it.

The ears stuff though, can stay with them for a lifetime. It's called Aural Ear Plaque.

 

[Loren&Rocky]

I am pretty sure that it is Aural Ear Plaque too, but this vet wanted to do a biopsy on it anyway.

Yeah, it will not "Go Away with time". Slick has had this since he was 2 or 3 and he is now 15.

Slick has been shown with this in his ear and won all kinds of stuff. It is un-sightly, hard to treat and makes him very hard to halter and bridle, but he was a champion before I had him. I have shown him too, and he does well even though he has this in his ear. It would be GREAT if it were NOT there however. That is why I "think" the biopsy may be helpful. I hope it is anyway.

 

[Minimor]

Ouch, all that blood makes it look painful!

Sample, it's been my experience that "sarcoids" which disappear after a few weeks of applying a topical solution aren't true sarcoids. That variety of sarcoid is actually a fungal growth. (I've gotten rid of them by applying iodine daily until they fall off; I've also fed sulphur to a couple horses that had them, and that cleared them up. True sarcoids do not go away so easily!!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Bless his little horsey heart; that looks nasty and uncomfortable! I have ZERO knowledge about such stuff; have had a horse or two or three over the years that had a white 'spot' or two in their ears that we presumed was some kind of 'plaque', but it never really was an issue-never spread, never really seemed to bother the horse in any way...and I generally just ignored it, to be honest (and of course, that was out here in the dry desert SW, where many 'nasties' have a harder time thriving....). Sure hope you can find out something that can be useful in helping him! Good for you for trying!

Margo

 

[dangerranger]

One of ours had sarcoids in its ear. after they were sergicaly removed they regrew quickly. the next vet that looked at her cut them out and every three weeks injected her ear with something that would destroy the tissue in this area.after a couple of months of this he let her ear heal and now you have to part the hair to find any evidence it was ever there. its been several years and hasnt returned.good luck. DR.

 

[Loren&Rocky]

After I find out what it is, I will let you all know. I do not expect to find a cure for it though. It has been there sooo long that I think someone would have treated it properly by now if there was a cure. I know I have tried everything I can think of.

 

[Loren&Rocky]

Poor Slick. Poor David too. David was holding Slick, because when the vet was working on Slick's ear, Slick became "Super Mini" and worke up enough to put up a good fight. I could not hold him.

The second plug the vet took went all the way through his ear!!

The blood started gushing after that. Slick shook his head and splattered David and the vet with blood. It was a huge mess. David joked about getting Slick an earing. OH!

 

[Loren&Rocky]

For those who have been asking, Yes, I will post the results and treatment plan when I get them.

I hope Slick can help others with the same problem.

 

[~Dan]

aww, poor thing, i hope hes feelin better soon, and that the vet finds out whats wrong with his ear

 

[Diana]

Shelley, Please let me know what the outcome is. I tried treating him with meds and it never worked. He was always a trooper when working on his ears as long as you went slow. I can't believe that he is 15 now and still looks like a champion. Give him a hug for me and Tori from NH.

 

[dreamlandnh]

Shelley please give Slick a hug for me and Lizzie too. Lizzie started showing Slick when she was 3 years old!!! That boy is very special to many of us here in NH!!!

 

[Kellie in OR]

If it ends up being Ear Plaque, try Dermafas.

http://www.dermafas.com/

It is the only thing I have found that works.

I just re-read and see you have tried this. Must not be the EP. I hope whatever it is it will be easily treated.