Melanoma Experiences!!
- Thread starter Na1998
- Start date
Elf On A Shelf
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I wouldn't touch a melanoma for love nor money.
humblepie
Well-Known Member
My retired horse had some lasered off. He wasn’t ridden by then so can’t help on the back riding question but he was definitely happier and more comfortable after they were done. I hope all goes well.
Na1998
Well-Known Member
Thank you, did the come back?
Na1998
Well-Known Member
How come? I read online and the advice is to have them removed so they don’t spread to internal organs if they are cancerous
humblepie
Well-Known Member
I think he was fine for about three years with them - sadly he had to be out down for completely unrelated problem. Was definitely worth having it dohe. He lived with a friend as a companion horse so I was directly involved in the care but I don’t think it was too onerous - keeping the site clean mainly.
mini-eventer
Well-Known Member
I agree, all greys get melanomas but on a grey generally they are not very malignant. I believe messing about with them can cause them to spread.
Only if the melanomas grew rapidly or was in an area it caused an issue I would consider it
I got my boy at 14 he's now 30. He has had melanomas all that time, granted he has a few more nowadays and some have got a bit bigger but they have never caused him a problem.
scats
Well-Known Member
Same. I had a grey who was riddled with melanomas. I was always advised to leave them alone, which I did.
Bernster
Well-Known Member
There are more options for treatment now, and an expensive vaccine but with uncertain efficacy (is that the right word?). My vet is the RVC and does recommend treatment if they are in a place that could cause an issue.
My grey recently had surgery to remove ones under his tail and sheath which was successful but with lots of traumatic problems along the way sadly but he seems ok now. He also had the new therapy on his poll/head but that’s not had a big impact that I can tell so far.
My grey recently had surgery to remove ones under his tail and sheath which was successful but with lots of traumatic problems along the way sadly but he seems ok now. He also had the new therapy on his poll/head but that’s not had a big impact that I can tell so far.
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Annagain
Well-Known Member
My 29 year old is riddled with melanomas, mostly in his sheath. When we first found them (they were inside his sheath so we didn't see them until they got big enough to poke out) the advice was to leave them well alone but I understand now that's changed and removal while it's still small is the way to go. His are far too big to remove without major surgery under GA which is too much for a horse his age.
In greys, melanomas are very rarely malignant and the issues they cause are more to with where they grow and the obstructions they create rather than the growths themselves. I've been remarkably lucky with my boy. I was told I'd be lucky to get him to 20 when we first discovered them but they still haven't caused him any major issues.
The thing with melanomas though, is that you never get just one. I don't think it's necessarily that messing about with them causes them to spread. I think it's more that once you get one, you'll get more so it appears that the one you fiddled with has spread but in reality you'd get the others anyway. This is likely to be the first of many so you could well be spending lots and lots of money on laser treatment. I'd focus on the ones in positions that are likely to cause issues and leave the others. They're also just as likely to grow internally as externally - particularly in the respiratory tract - which you don't know about until they become a problem. I've been lucky in that any Archie has internally (he must have some) have not caused him any problems but not everybody is that lucky.
In greys, melanomas are very rarely malignant and the issues they cause are more to with where they grow and the obstructions they create rather than the growths themselves. I've been remarkably lucky with my boy. I was told I'd be lucky to get him to 20 when we first discovered them but they still haven't caused him any major issues.
The thing with melanomas though, is that you never get just one. I don't think it's necessarily that messing about with them causes them to spread. I think it's more that once you get one, you'll get more so it appears that the one you fiddled with has spread but in reality you'd get the others anyway. This is likely to be the first of many so you could well be spending lots and lots of money on laser treatment. I'd focus on the ones in positions that are likely to cause issues and leave the others. They're also just as likely to grow internally as externally - particularly in the respiratory tract - which you don't know about until they become a problem. I've been lucky in that any Archie has internally (he must have some) have not caused him any problems but not everybody is that lucky.
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Hollylee1989
Well-Known Member
My boy had his first one removed at 7, he had more appear after that. He's 22 now and none are causing him any problems
Bernster
Well-Known Member
Sadly mine does seem to have some inside his neck. No idea what that will mean but can’t really do anything about those. I may restart the vaccine. They had supply problems for ages but it’s available again now I think. He’s coming back into work now after his surgery and recovery so I’ll see what we are working with 
mustardsmum
Well-Known Member
Our mare had one removed last that was near her stifle. It suddenly started growing. Was easy to remove - was the size of a golf ball. Was all pretty straightforward to remove. Back in work once the incision healed. Hasn’t come back but she has lots of smaller ones under her tail (like the one you posted), one by her eye and one on the side of her face. But they are slow growing so we are leaving them. She’s nearly 20 so I am reluctant to start disturbing them - they’ve all been there 7 years and barely grown. My vet said the ones to worry about are the ones you can’t see.
bottletop
New User
why?