Horse Vibes January February 2021

Page 34

A small well-defined sarcoid with a wide margin of unaffected skin.

VET VIBES

Equine sarcoids: what you need to know

T

he equine sarcoid is by far the most common cutaneous neoplasm (skin growth) in

horses. It affects horses of all ages, and was first described by Jackson in 1936. He introduced the term ‘equine sarcoid’ because the growth looked like a sarcoma, which is a cancer of the connective tissue. An equine sarcoid is a tumour of the skin only, it does not spread to internal organs. Most affected horses are normal in every other aspect except

If you’ve noticed a wart-like lump on your horse’s skin, it could very well be a sarcoid. Veterinarian Dr DOUG ENGLISH discusses types and treatments.

those with large lesions. A sarcoid doesn’t seem to have any significant correlation with age, sex, or breed, and incidence varies between two to six per cent of the equine population, including donkeys, mules, and zebras. Bovine papilloma viruses (BPVs)

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