They are a transmissable tumour which we think is caused by a virus similar to the cattle Papiloma Virus or the wart virus.
Is a Sarcoid a cancer?
It is not an actual true cancer, but is an uncontrolled growth so has similar properties of cancer.
How is a sarcoid transmitted?
It is believed to be transmitted by flies or by direct contact, but it doesn't necessarily mean if one horse has them in the paddock any of the other horses will get them.
There are two forms of Sarcoids, a flat form & a lumpy form & on occasion you can have a mixture of the two. The sarcoid itself can be slow growing or fast growing, they can be dormant for years then grow rapidly all of a sudden. Disturbance of a quiescent (dormant) sarcoid can cause rapid growth.
Can they be treated?
Yes. There is a multitude of treatments for them, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they will be effective on all horses. The choice of treatment depends on the size, type, area on horse & sometimes the budget.
Some of the treatments are:
- Removal – surgically.
- Freezing – with liquid nitrogen, (also used for freeze branding & on skin cancers in humans).
- Sarcoid Ointment – can only be applied by a vet because of the toxic ingredients. This involves approximately 3 treatments over 2 weeks, the time frame depends on the sarcoids reaction to the ointment.
- Cysplatin – cancer drug, this & various other cancer durgs have been tried.
- Immune implantation – when a piece of the sarcoid is frozen then implanted (elsewhere) into the patient to cause an immune reaction & from this the body should fight off the virus/tumour itself. Note- this treatment is still experimental.
- Accupuncture – to irritate them (David has heard of this, but not seen it).
- Wart Ointments etc, etc, etc
Note: There are probably many more other treatments that have not been mentioned above. Your veterinarian will advise you on the best treatment plan for your horses' particular sarcoid.
In some cases one of these treatment methods will give you a successful outcome, at times a combination of the above will be effective and occasionally none of the above will be successful.
Testimonials
"David and his team treat their client’s animals as if they were their own and have helped me and my horses in some very stressful situations over the years, thankfully, always with a excellent outcome!"
"Thank you so much for the extra good care you took of Lilly ... I’ve always been extremely happy with Dave as our vet, I think he truly does a wonderful job, and you can really see how much he cares.”
"The fact that Dave has been my vet for many years speaks volumes. Dave has a very nice manner and deals with the horses in a calm and kind way. He always takes time to explain options and procedures and to advise on what he considers to be the best course of treatment."
"Although we may have moved, we would not consider using any other veterinarian other than David to care for our horses."