Sarcoids; the facts
Sarcoids are a common form of tumour in horses and ponies, and despite their similar appearance to warts, they are very destructive to the local area. They are most often found on the belly, inside the back legs, around the sheath, on the chest and around the eyes and ears. They often appear at the site of old scars, particularly on the legs. Today Animal Friends is looking further in depth as to what sarcoids are.
How can you identify sarcoids?
Sarcoids come in all shapes and sizes, which will vary on the severity.
Sarcoids can appear singly or in tiny clusters, which are easily overlooked. As they enlarge, the skin can ulcerate and become infected. At this stage, they can attract flies during summer, causing the sarcoids to become open sores and not heal.
The appearance of sarcoids is variable. In the early stages, they may look like smooth, nodular skin lumps. The lumps frequently become larger, irregular in shape and cauliflower-like in appearance. They often ulcerate and become aggressive when they are described as fibroblastic sarcoids.
Sarcoids can also appear as flat, slightly bumpy areas of skin with a dry, scaly appearance. This verrucose form of sarcoid is sometimes mistaken for ringworm, but never clears up. Such plaques are often found on the neck and inner thigh. In time, they may develop into other forms of the tumour.
In the worst case scenario, treatment can be a losing battle, and it is not unknown for horses to be put down in extreme cases.
Treatment
Sarcoids must be taken very seriously, as any single sarcoid has the ability to spread. Early treatment and rapid response is the best way to deal with sarcoids.
Although several treatments are available, there is no magic cure and there is always a risk that they may grow back. Treatment will depend on the position, size and number of sarcoids.
You vet may be able to advise you on one of the following treatment:
-Surgery. The disadvantage of removing the tumour surgically is that there is a high failure rate – the wound often heals poorly and the sarcoid frequently recurs.
-Ligation. This involves applying a tight band around the base of the tumour. While it will work for some horses, there is a high risk of leaving tumour cells behind to grow back.
-Cryotherapy. The tumour is often frozen to destroy it, but it often requires repeated treatments and general anaesthesia for treatment to be carried out safely.
-Immune therapy. This method involves injecting the horse with substances, such as BCG, to stimulate the immune system to eliminate the tumour. It can work well for sarcoids around the eye, but several treatments are needed, often under heavy sedation.
-Topical treatment. This involves special creams. Research has been carried out at the University of Liverpool and results show that the creams work well in some cases. They have now formed their own topical treatment called ‘Liverpool Cream’.
- Radiation therapy. This has been shown to be most effective. Unfortunately, the danger of radiation makes the treatment expensive and, again, general anaesthesia is required, which some insurance does not cover. Radiation therapy is only available at certain specialised centres because of the technical difficulties and costs involved.
If you do choose to use any method of treatment other than topical it may be very expensive, and it should depend entirely on the type of sarcoid; having horse insurance in place will allow you to use these treatments with financial security.
When looking to buy a horse, beware of any and all small lumps on the horse, even if you are told they are warts, as insurance companies may not cover any problems caused by pre-existing sarcoids. Sarcoids can end up being very costly for you as a horse owner, so please keep checking your horse for any growths or legions, and contact your vet immediately for advice should you find anything.
