Radiotherapy for large animals
How can radiation help my horse?
There is a close connection between horse and rider: both have spent years, sometimes even decades together, and have experienced and learned a lot from each other. The horse is considered a partner, even a family member. All the greater the shock when a veterinarian diagnoses cancer. Can this disease be treated in horses?
These and many other questions can initially make owners very insecure, in particular, if previous attempts at treatment were unsuccessful. If an operation, immunotherapy or chemotherapy has failed, radiation therapy can help in some cases. For many benign and malignant tumours, radiation therapy is the treatment method of choice and is also completely painless for your horse.
Common types of cancer in horses and when we can help
It is the same with horses as with human beings: the older they get, the higher the risk of developing a malignant tumor. In eight out of every hundred horses between the ages of 15 and 19 years, this is the case. With 44 per cent, equine sarcoid is the most common type of tumor in horses. Squamous cell carcinoma is also common.
Here is an overview of some of the types of cancer we treat at Equinox Healthcare.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Horses with many white markings are somewhat more frequently affected by this type of cancer. It occurs particularly frequently in the eye area and on the reproductive organs.
Equine Sarcoid
Horses of all ages and breeds suffer from this tumour. The trigger is an infection with papillomaviruses. Equine sarcoid hardly ever spreads, so it rarely forms metastases. This is good for the prognosis. However, the tumour often returns if solely an operation has been carried out.
Grey Horse Melanoma
As the name suggests, this type of cancer mainly affects grey horses. The growths often form under the tail root or on the anus, sometimes on the eyes, in the glands and in the genital area. Organs can also be affected. Black skin cancer normally grows slowly, but several tumours often occur simultaneously.
Spindle Cell Sarcoma
This tumour affects the connective tissue of different localizations. It is malignant and can spread throughout the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
Nasal and paranasal tumors
Various types of tumors can occur in the nasal and sinus cavities of horses. However, the animals often only show symptoms at later stages. A combination of radiation therapy and previous surgery is usually suitable as treatment.
Computed Tomography
For the irradiation of internal tumors, for example in the nose, a computed tomography examination is usually necessary. For this, the horse is placed under a short anesthesia and individual positioning aids are made.
Where irradiation can also help
What many horse owners are unaware of: radiation therapy does not only effectively fight cancer cells, but also, in low doses, can help against pain and inflammation. We treat chronic lameness when other therapies are no longer effective. Three sessions are usually necessary to achieve the analgesic effect. Radiation therapy relieves the symptoms, among others, by preventing inflammatory cells from multiplying. There is a likelihood of many other beneficial effects at the cell level, which are currently being investigated in research. The following illnesses, among others, can be treated with radiation therapy:
- arthroses / spavin
- kissing spines
- podotrochlosis
- chronic damage of the suspensory ligament
- chronic pain in the event of laminitis
- headshaking
Equipment
Everything one size bigger
To irradiate an animal the size of a horse, the clinic must be specially equipped: the doors and tables must be significantly larger than in facilities for humans or small animals. In addition to a crane used to transport the anaesthetised horse, padded recovery boxes are required in which patients can wake up with a minimum risk of injury.
EQUINOX HEALTHCARE, the oncological centre in Linsengericht, Hesse, has all this at its disposal. Our facility is specially designed for horses.
