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  Discussion on Warts - how contagious are they?
Author Message
Member:
Mszoey

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 11:33 am:

I have a person wanting to board a mare with us, she did inform me that the mare has a few small warts on her nose and one by her eye. The horses have seperate runs and seperate waterers, but they can touch each other thru the fence, as far as nose contact.

How contagious are warts, or are they at all, is it a virus just within the horse that has the warts? thank you- Sherri
Member:
Parforq

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 1:00 pm:

Warts are very contagious, but they are also easily treated. If they are dabbed with iodine every day, they dry up and fall off.
Member:
Mszoey

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 1:07 pm:

I have heard several things, but this was not one of them, I will pass this info on, thank you Sherri
Member:
Albionsh

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 1:36 pm:

I have been told by one of my trainers that all horses get warts once, then build a life-time immunity. He calls them "two-year-old warts." It is true as my youngsters have been growing up. They get the warts between two and three years of age and they have resolved on their own. He said knocking off a few of the tops will create the bodily reaction that makes them go away. Anyone else have more info? Thanks.
Member:
Warwick

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 1:49 pm:

One of my geldings had several warts on his nose when he was a 3 year old but they didn't spread to any of my other horses. My vet told me just to leave them and they would disappear on their own. They did and have never returned. He told me they are very common and nothing to worry about.

At the time I did a bit of research on the web and found that the most common treatment was to do exactly what I did - nothing. (Although one English vet did suggest dabbing them with tea tree oil.)
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 9:05 pm:

Last year we bought a malnourished yearling filly. She had the warts so bad on her muzzle, under it, and in her nose that I worried about her breathing. I used a product called Horsemen Prefer; I am not sure if it was specifically for warts, or more general but it did have Tea Tree Oil in it plus alot more stuff that really smelled to high heaven. Don't know if it cleared up the warts, or they just went away on their own, but it did keep her nasal passages clear!! She would "sneeze" after I rubbed it on her.

I would really rub her and try to break them open too.

An old tale I have heard it to put a banana peel over a wart; never tried that, don't think our horses would go for it either, LOL!!! I do know raw potatoes work on bruises, on people....tried that after getting bucked off last year.

On a more serious note, none of my other 4 horses got the warts, and yup, they went away on the filly after she starting looking fat and sassy.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2004 - 6:18 am:

The above questions and comments are addressed in the article associated with this forum.
DrO
Member:
Zane

Posted on Monday, Jun 14, 2004 - 12:32 am:

My 5 yo quarter got warts that lasted around 6 months. None of his pasture mates got them and they went away.
New Member:
cajintex

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008 - 8:06 am:

I have a mare that I was told was 9 when I bought her three years ago. I was showing her to a potential purchaser and noticed that she had warts. They mentioned them too. I spoke to a lady that owns a horse ranch and she said that here in South Texas, the older ranchers take one on each side and squeeze them to make them bleed. They then take the blood from the left one and put it on the right one, and vice versa. She said supposedly it makes them go away faster. I really don't want to be doing that. I think I will just wait and see if they will go away on their own. Are warts caused by a virus in the horse's body?
Member:
karent

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008 - 10:17 am:

Warts are very contagious to other horses and are caused by the papillomavirus. When I used to work on a horse ranch it was very common for the yearlings out in pasture to get warts every year, and if one got them, they all ended up with them. The babies always got warts on their muzzle, is this the same with your horse? I believe they have an incubation period of about 60 days and may take up to 4 months before they go away (DrO is that correct?).

We always let the warts run their course. however, if you want them gone,I've heard that liquid nitrogen or excision of the warts is probably the best way to get rid of them. I wouldn't try squeezing them because I would be afraid of a secondary infection or possibly flies laying eggs inside the wound (maggot's yuk)...
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Aug 14, 2008 - 11:30 am:

Hello Phyllis and Karen,
The questions you raise are addressed in the article associated with this forum. There is new information available in the subtopic on warts in that article. The quickest way to reach the article is to click on Bumps / Nodules / Warts / Tumors ยป Overview of Bumps, Nodules, Warts & Tumors off the navigation bar at the top of the page.
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