It is not very often you hear of a horse with cancer. Often when you do it is after the horse has died and the cancer was later discovered in a necropsy. However, if the cancer is detected early then there are several things that a veterinarian can do to help your horse fight the cancer.
Horses, like humans are able to develop a number of cancers. They are able to get skin cancer and lymphatic cancers. They are also able to contract cancers in various organs as well. Like humans, horses will also develop lumps and tumors. They can also develop skin cancer lesions. These lumps often occur under the eyes, around the genitals and on the skin. These lumps call for diagnosis via biopsy to determine the type of cancer as well as the severity.
Cancer is hard to diagnose because the symptoms are so vague. They may present symptoms similar to other disease or none at all. The main symptom associated with cancer is a horse that doesn’t seem to be thriving or responding to treatment for other diseases. These horses are often suffering from some sort of cancer.
Treatment for equine cancer is very similar to human treatments. The horse may undergo surgery to remove malignant tumors or potentially malignant tumors. They can undergo chemotherapy, immunotherapy for immune system support and even laser therapy. Often several of these treatments may be employed at one time. Horses may also undergo radiation therapy and a process called cryosurgery, which involves freezing off the tumor caused by skin cancer.
Skin cancer is prevalent in light colored horses. Horses, such as Paints and Pintos that have a lot of white, as well as white colored horses, may easily sunburn and develop skin cancer. Owners with horses such as these can often prevent skin cancer by keeping the horses in the shade during the day and turning out at night or by applying sunscreen to their white and sun sensitive areas.
