Facts you need to know about sarcoids

Horse

An information guide for vets, owners and trainers

Dealing with cancer is always likely to be a problem and in spite of the difficulties we have made significant progress.  The years of testing different treatments and trying to get a better understanding of a disease that has long been belittled by use the term “wart” have made it a roller-coaster of elation, depression, successes and failures.

Derek C Knottenbelt OBE, BVM&S, DVMS, DipECEIM, MRCVS

Derek KnottenbeltOver many years of examining and managing horses afflicted with sarcoids, I have met many great horses. The big and the small, the elite and the humble- they have all tolerated my necessary learning process with fortitude, though not always with good humour!

Sarcoids affect horses throughout the world and the disease is a particular problem in working horses in developing countries.  I hope that advances made here in our understanding of the disease will be delivered to them so that their welfare can be significantly improved.

 I would also like to make a plea for research effort into this disease.  It is remarkable that a condition that occurs in a significant prevalence world wide, singularly fails to attract research funding.