Melanoma - should I buy?

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smanf

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Sorry, I am sure there are thousands of threads on this but I can't find the search button and I don't have much time, so...

Following on from my thread yesterday, the vet has been to see my new horse and has confirmed that the small lump near his ear is a melanoma. He has none anywhere else (under tail etc.), it doesn't interfere with the bridle, he is grey and six years old.

Would you still buy? What are the risks of it spreading or becoming a problem. I am aware that it wouldn't be covered on the insurance, but what kind of health implications could it have? I don't think the current owner will even consider a chip on the price

Thanks
 
It won't be covered on insurance and as melanomas usually lead to more melanomas then it's a pre-existing condition so he won't be coverd for any other new melanomas that appear over his lifetime. Grey horses tend to get melanomas and horses with melanomas usually end up with several clusters of them over time.

So only buy if you're prepared to either finance cost of any melanoma-vet bills yourself, or if you're prepared to put him to sleep if he develops aggressive melanomas even if at a young age, then look at his cost now and what sort of a horse he is and say to yourself "Am I prepared to pay that much to have him in my life for an unknown period of time?" (Coming back to the getting runover by a bus analogy, even a 100pc fit horse could drop dead/be fatally injured/ill and so not be part of its owner's life for many years).
 
Moms OH had a horse with one behind his ears. Never got any bigger, when he died unexpectedly they discovered that it'd been growing inward and pressing on his spinal cord and was causing problems with the brain sending the correct messages.

So it it were me, no.
 
Oh I don't know what to advise. I love greys and own a fair few of them. They all get melanomas at some point, either external or internal, and that's just something you have to try to get your head around really. If you're accepting of it like I am then if the horse does everything you want, then go for it. If not then probably best to look for a different colour of horse.

I own some greys who are between 5 and 9 and none of them show any melanomas yet. I have one in her early teens and she has one little one. I have two who are a little older, 19 and 21, who have larger, more noticeable melanomas. All are ticking along quite nicely and the melanomas don't bother them at all. There will be issues with all of them however, and I understand that and accept that but tbh when a horse gets to 20 years old it's going to start getting something wrong with it, so it's six or one, half a dozen of another.
 
I'm open minded about melanomas in older horses ie mid teens, but wouldn't buy a young horse at any price. Too much potential for heart break.
 
Spring Feather said:
Oh I don't know what to advise. I love greys and own a fair few of them. They all get melanomas at some point, either external or internal, and that's just something you have to try to get your head around really. If you're accepting of it like I am then if the horse does everything you want, then go for it. If not then probably best to look for a different colour of horse.

I own some greys who are between 5 and 9 and none of them show any melanomas yet. I have one in her early teens and she has one little one. I have two who are a little older, 19 and 21, who have larger, more noticeable melanomas. All are ticking along quite nicely and the melanomas don't bother them at all. There will be issues with all of them however, and I understand that and accept that but tbh when a horse gets to 20 years old it's going to start getting something wrong with it, so it's six or one, half a dozen of another.
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Thank you, this is kind of my thinking really; it might be a problem, it might not. He also might end up with his intetstine becoming strangulated on a lipoma that I didn't know was there (like my previous horse), or he might not.

I know that greys are prone to them, but that is about as far as my understanding goes, not really sure what they actually do?? other than they are tumors??
 
smanf said:
Thank you, this is kind of my thinking really; it might be a problem, it might not. He also might end up with his intetstine becoming strangulated on a lipoma that I didn't know was there (like my previous horse), or he might not.

I know that greys are prone to them, but that is about as far as my understanding goes, not really sure what they actually do?? other than they are tumors??
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Yes they are locally invasive tumours. Key issue is that they can occur anywhere, external or internal. So what you see on the outside, is not a full picture.

My understanding is that melanomas tend to be more aggressive in younger horses.
 
I realise that there is a higher potential for grey horses to get melanomas, however I wouldn't purposefully buy in one that has any, at any age but more so in the young.
 
mtj said:
I'm open minded about melanomas in older horses ie mid teens, but wouldn't buy a young horse at any price. Too much potential for heart break.
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I agree with this, there are plenty of horses out there especially at 6 without them, even grey ones! And if you do decide to buy this horse in particular I certainly wouldn't be paying full asking price for it.
 
no, not if present in one so young. My horse developed a small one at 5yo, PTS at 11 yo due to melanomas. There is presently no effective treatment and the one commonly prescribed (cimetidine) costs about £250-300 per month in the UK (for a 50% chance in reduction and those figures are hopeful) and as noted on a vetting, no insurance will cover it. The figures for other types of chemo or radiotherapy are small and not that hopeful at the moment. They are always malignant at some point-might be young, might be in their 20s but the only person doing any sort of research in the UK told me that aggressively growing melanoma in younger horses (ie up to younger teens) are always fatal. Wouldn't choose to put myself through that again.
 
Nope would never knowingly buy a horse with a melanoma or sarcoid.

My gelding who I have had for 12 years came to me with a wart on his shoulder, its still there has never changed shape size or texture and nearly every second year i forget its there when clipping and take the head off it and its never changed. Hes black, his wart is black and it wasnt even picked up at his vetting nor even pointed out to me by the seller and with a full winter coat I never saw it until summer. It has never caused any bother so I ignore it.
 
I just give up, I knew I had jinxed myself with my post yesterday. Nothing has gone right for me since my boy died, it has been one heartache after another. Might as well call it a day :( :(
 
It's a really hard one if you buy a grey the chances are unless you are very lucky you will have to deal with them .
My last grey who died in her early twenties never had any , my present One who is seven has none yet would I have bought him if he had I don't know but I don't think so.
 
No I wouldn't buy. OP, it just doesn't make sense to.

I know this is terribly cliche but I sobbed and sobbed over a boy that failed the vetting when I was buying. Turned out the right horse was on her way, she couldn't be more perfect. Your perfect horse IS out there.
 
Well it is a really difficult call isnt it Smanf. I really feel for you. in your position I WOULD buy the horse. I bought a 4 YO with melanomas, he isnt with me now but is now 14 and going strong. I imagine he probably wont live beyond 20 though. He could have been unlucky and been killed by them aged 7. I have lessons at a riding school where a good 50% of the horses have melanomas - most of the horses are greys - and they have never lost one before its late teens. I do agree there will be other horses out there for you, and the sensible 'head' decision says wait for one of those - but if your 'heart' decision is to buy this boy it could still turn out ok. My advice is to toss a coin, heads you buy him, tails you don't. Resolve to do what the coin tells you. Go to bed, and immediately you wake up in the morning, find out how you feel about the decision. That will tell you what to do. Hugs x x
 
I wouldn't knowingly buy a youngster with a melanoma. In fact in my bid to keep every horse I buy into its old age (having lost a few youngsters), I now won't even consider greys, which is a shame as I think they are beautiful. Losing any horse is heart-breaking but losing a youngster is particularly devastating.
Don't give up the search though, the right horse is out there, waiting for you. Keep us updated.
 
Thanks so much for all your advice guys, I have decided to go ahead, I have kissed quite a few frogs lately, and I just felt so great on this ones back that I guess I will just have to take the chance. Plus it means that my boy (who isn't free of his issues and whom is an added complication) will go to someone who will hopefully be able to bring him on far better than I can, and where I can keep an eye on him. Unfortunately losing horses is par for the course of owning them. A possibly naive statement, but one that I accept. Wish me luck! :o
 
smanf said:
Thanks so much for all your advice guys, I have decided to go ahead, I have kissed quite a few frogs lately, and I just felt so great on this ones back that I guess I will just have to take the chance. Plus it means that my boy (who isn't free of his issues and whom is an added complication) will go to someone who will hopefully be able to bring him on far better than I can, and where I can keep an eye on him. Unfortunately losing horses is par for the course of owning them. A possibly naive statement, but one that I accept. Wish me luck! :o
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Oh I hope he is everything you could wish for :smile3: I wouldn't be without my greys either and tbh honest once they're in their late teens, early twenties a lot of people don't do a whole lot with their old horses so they're often just wandering around a field until they pop their clogs. Maybe the greys will die earlier but if you've had a fabulous 10 years with them then I always think it's well worth it.
 
I have a grey 23 year old mare. She developed her first signs under her tail and them jnder both her ears in her lymph glands when i gave her 6 months off whilst i had my daughter...she was 11 at the time. I had the vet out who gave her 6 years to live, he said they were in her lhmph nodes and wojld spread down into her gullet and she would get colic and have problems. 5 years on i had my son and gave her another 6 months off and the tumours grew again. Its was like they grew when she wasnt working, lkke keeping her fit and competing kept them at bay!

They have grown and grown to the point where her head is a funny shape, her bottom is unrecognisable. I am going to make the decision before winter to have her pts as she has lost tons of weight and altho happy at the moment she will struggle in the deep dark winter like last year and her vulva is now fully open as the melanomas have grown around it forcing it open. I clean her daily due to flies but its anot a nice position and want her to go with some dignity as i have had her since she was 4.

I bought another horse 3 years ago and he has 2 lumps near his girth, hair covered and you can actually pull them away from skin, they are like 2 hard marbles under the fur. My grey mares melanomas did not stop me from buying this guy as he was perfect for me! They have not grown in the 3 years i have had him so took a punt.

Go for it if its the right horse, my mare had them from 11 on her head but did not stop her from being a fit competition mare till she was 20yrs x
 
Can I just tell you my "story" then you can decide!

I bought a ex eventer last yr 15 yr grey mare 16.2hh IDx had a small melanoma under her dock which hadn't changed in shape or size for at least 4 yrs. passed a 2 stage vetting and insured her but wouldn't cover anything related to melanomas.
within a month she started head shaking I had her back done , saddle fitted, teeth and finally the vet came, she was treated for mites then an ear infection, neither helped. It was arranged for her to have a ct scan at the royal vet college.
3 months after purchased she dropped dead in front of me! I had a PM done for insurance purposes. diagnosis was heart failure. When they opened her brain the vets found a melanoma in the front lobe, the size of a pea but triggered the fatal HA.
Fortunately insurance covered her death as heart failure was ultimately the cause of death .
So take from this what you want but with this awful experience I would not buy a horse with melanomas. the vet explained that the majority with external will have internal , however my daughters grey mare lived with melanomas until she was 30yrs!!
it depends if you want to take the risk,
good luck what ever you decide
 
Oww the orange one, it sounds like you give your mare the best and most loving care, sorry to hear that you will be losing her :( and thank you for the encouragement.

On a different note, I was always sure that it would be either the lami, or the liver damage that would claim my boy, but as it happened the first time he suffered colic in the twenty years that I owned him, his small intestine got strangulated on a lipoma that I never knew was there. Would never have guessed it!
 
smanf said:
Sorry, I am sure there are thousands of threads on this but I can't find the search button and I don't have much time, so...

Following on from my thread yesterday, the vet has been to see my new horse and has confirmed that the small lump near his ear is a melanoma. He has none anywhere else (under tail etc.), it doesn't interfere with the bridle, he is grey and six years old.

Would you still buy? What are the risks of it spreading or becoming a problem. I am aware that it wouldn't be covered on the insurance, but what kind of health implications could it have? I don't think the current owner will even consider a chip on the price

Thanks
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Ive known many many many greys in my lifetime. Some had melanomas some not. None died or had them spread, it would not put me off a grey though I would always check with my vet first.
 
Sorry maxweg, just saw your post, after writing my last one. Thanks for sharing, terrible, sorry to hear that :-( the deal is pretty much done (unless something else goes wrong). My (and O'Reilly's) fate is in the hands of the gods!! :o
 
O smanf you just made me cry! It is the most heart rending decision to make i love her loads, competednher to foxhunter and she never put a foot wrong. I have to do this this year as do not want to see her depressed like last winter, it broke my heart. I have given her the summer to enjoy the grass and the sun on her back. I am sure i will be on here posting before the fateful day, i am still beating myself up over it but am sure in december when its thick with snow and -5 i will be glad i did it. I will just go and blow my nose x
 
Oh you've just brought a tear to my eye! What a brave thing that will be to do. I didn't have a choice with my boy, but he went while the sun was still shining, and I look back with great fondness at the pics of his last bath and I'm glad he didn't have to endure the terrible winter that we've just had x
 
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