CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company rounded up four ponies after noticing one pony with swamp cancer on her leg Sunday morning.
Officials say a cowboy noticed Amari's Journey had a hurt back leg, and they say it was "the dreaded swamp cancer/pythiosis."
Swamp cancer, also known as equine pythiosis, is a fungus-like infection that can affect the skin, bones, intestines, lungs, and arteries of horses and other animals, according to the Louisiana State University College of Agriculture. The infection is caused by water mold that typically occurs in wetland conditions. It starts as a small irritation or wound that does not heal, which then quickly develops and creates necrotic cells that form into yellow or gray coral-like structures. Most horses need early medical intervention to prevent the lesions from spreading.
So, the Saltwater Cowboys scheduled a round-up for Sunday evening to capture Journey. They say they also looked at many ponies in the northern herd and found a few more mares with cuts and scrapes.
They say to be on the safe side, they brought all four in for care.
Officials say they caught the swamp cancer early for Journey, and they say they are hoping immunotherapy and treatment will help.
They say Tawny Treasure has a cut on the front of her foot that the veterinarian will look at, but they say it looks like a kind of shellfish/oyster cut.
They say they brought Bonnie in with a small cut on the top of her hoof, and 15 Friends of Freckles with small cuts on her feet, but not much worse than fly bites.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company adds all of the northern herd not included in the roundup have been seen and are confirmed okay in the past few days, but say they will be keeping an eye on them.
About two weeks ago, the fire company announced that Wildfire's Phoenix had to be euthanized after contracting swamp cancer.
