melanomas

[Babz]

I know that melanomas is a type of cancer (skin?) but I know nothing else of it, is it serious in horses?
The reason I ask is that I have seen a lovely mare that meets all of my requirments that has it under her tail, her ad says that it requires no treatments, shes 15.
Would you still buy her?

Sorry for sounding a complete numpty

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

From H&H, 2003:

Melanomas are most commonly associated with mature grey horses: many affected animals will enjoy long and successful careers with the tumours having little effect on their quality of life. The tumours are usually benign and grow slowly, although in a small number of animals they will be an ongoing nuisance and can ultimately prove fatal.

Grey horses who are more than five or six years old are typical candidates for melanomas and approximately 80% of greys older than 15 years will develop a growth. Usually they are noticed as firm, grey or black masses in one of several typical sites including:

- under the tail and around the anus
- on the head below the ear and behind the jaw bone
- sometimes on the genitalia
- less frequently on the limbs and neck
- occasionally on the eyelid or within the eye

Often owners will notice a small solitary nodule beneath the skin but over time, sometimes many years, other nodules may appear and the growths join up to form a multi-nodular mass that may ulcerate through the skin. Melanomas around the tail and anus may become ulcerated and keeping these areas clean and hygienic is important. In addition, effective fly control in the summer months can help.

Hope this helps.

 

[Babz]

Thanks B.O.Fs
As soon as I wrote this post it suddenly came back to me what they were, I don't know weather to take a chance on her or not.

 

[mtj]

I'm on my second grey with melanomas.

the 1st one was diagnosed with melanomas in his early twenties, and went on to live to 28.

my current grey is 17 . i bought him last year as a companion (he does light work as well) knowing he has melanomas. he met all my criteria, and i allowed for the melanomas in the price i was willing to pay.

the key issues are location of the melanomas, and the inability to judge what melanomas their are internally. although my first pony only had them visibly on his sheath and anus area, the vets were pretty sure he had some internally.

realistically you have to accept that greys have a statistically shorter life span than other colours.

if the horse is perfect in every other way, i would be willing to buy it dependent on the melanoma location.

 

[Dogstar]

If she is known to you and perfect in every other way for the job you want her for, then I would consider buying her but ONLY if she was really cheap. However, I would definitely get a vet to look at her first. There are plenty of 100% healthy horses around to buy, so think carefully. My first wonderful grey was PTS aged 20 with 'suspected melanomas' causing her to go off her hind legs. My current 19 year old flea-bitten grey hunter has a huge melanoma under her neck and another very large mass under her tail but is still sound and going strong, touch wood. Greys are usually very nice horses in my experience though, so it hasn't put me off them totally which is lucky as I also have a home bred dapple grey!

 

[irishdraught]

I would be put off personally as many years ago I had a mare PTS due to internal melanomas. It is often not the visible ones that cause any problems, but the ones you can't see.

If she is really what you want then you must be prepared for her not to live as long as a horse without them.

It's one of those things that effects some more than others depending on where the tumours are and how aggressively they are growing.

 

[Ruth_Cymru]

I'm in a similar situation to you, so will be following what people post here. I have had a 5yr old vetted that has a small, suspected melanoma on his tail. He is perfect for me in every other way, but I have to decide whether I want to take the risk. There is also the concideration that insurance will exclude melanomas as well. Good luck

 

[helenandroger]

i really, really wouldn't go there. i had a horrible exp with melanomas where my grey boy had to be put down, but i still found myself looking at greys! - but only those that were clear, on the basis that anything can happen. i nearly went for a lovely chestnut, but he had sacroids, and i just knew any existing lumps - no way. as for insurance, i was fortunate to have loss of horse paid out, but only after an extremely unpleasant wk of arguing other beva guidelines,and my vet warned me although i should get insurance money, in his experience there is normally a clause about greys and melanomas. and now, i can only get insurance on my new horse for loss due to accident.