Melanomas

[Jo C]

Can anyone recommend any websites on which to read up about these please? I am loathe to google as I don't really want to scare myself to death. When should I start to be worried about them? P has them under the dock, on/in his sheath and I have just found one in his mane. They don't appear to be causing any problems at present but I am most worried about the ones on the sheath. Should I get them checked out, as far as I am aware there is nothing that can be done about them anyway - is this correct?

 

[AmyMay]

Why not give your vet a buzz and have a chat with him?

 

[Jo C]

That was my next stop really, just wondered if there was any good background reading out there but all my questions came spilling out into my post as well.

Think the vet is prob the best option - thank you!

 

[AmyMay]

I have a friend who had a grey mare that had melanomas. They never caused her a problem to be honest, although I'm sure as with all things - that won't always be the case.

Yes, rather than scare yourself with reams of scientific horror stories chat with yon veterinary.

 

[Baggybreeches]

My old grey pony had them under her tail and she also had them in her temples (head) The head ones measured 5 inches square on either side just below her ears, she lived to be 32 and was still inwork until 4 weeks before she was PTS.
I would just keep a note of them and moniter any changes, they really shouldnt cause too many problems.

 

[Jo C]

Thanks AmyMay, I'll pop in and see him I think, need to pick something up from there anyway.

 

[Jo C]

Aww she was obviously happy that's lovely. I think it is great when they keep working until that age.
Its not really the ones in the mane/dock I am worried about more the ones on/in the sheath which are also on the penis. However I think I will pop and see the vet and have a chat.

 

[Baggybreeches]

Ah, yes on the todge? Sorry no experience of them!

 

[Walder]

the only experience i have of them is that quite a few years back i had a pony with them under her tail and around her bottom the pony was with me on a months trail with a view to buy - i had a vet out to look at them who told me that normaly they are ok but these ones has little ulcer like patches on them which he said 'could' become a problem as if the filies got to them they would get infected and that would mean trouble - hope that helps x x x

 

[Happy Horse]

There is no point worrying - all you can do is monitor them. My old boy had them everywhere including in his sheath. One word of advice get some Battles Fly ointment if they still make it - he got flies up amongst the melanomas up there where I couldn't get to and got maggots - it was gross (he did have loads though!) Putting hte fly cream around the entrance to his sheath once he had been demaggoted by the vet seemed to do the trick!

 

[Jo C]

Thanks Happy Horse I'll try and get some

 

[SirenaXVI]

Is he grey by any chance? Apparently as high as 98% of grey horses have melanomas, there are generally benign and the horse will live a normal life. The cause is the grey gene preventing the hair follicle dispersing the colour (melanine) through the hair (very simplified term) so the melanine collects in the skin and forms nodules (melanomas) both on the surface and under the skin. I have five grey horses, the oldest of which is 29 and she has had a melanoma (under her dock)since she was about 6, in the last couple of years it has grown a little and she now has more on her body, they do not affect her at all and generally don't unless they grow very large when they will start to interfere. There is a drug that can treat it but according to my vet it is very much a last resort as it can cause complications. My nine year old also has a small collection of melanomas under her tail and all my vet has said is to keep an eye on them, if they start to suddenly get very much larger or spread then we may consider some treatment. If a horse is very young (under 4) and there are melanomas present that would be more worrying as they do get larger with age, but as I said, the vast majority are benign.

It is worth having a word with your vet if only to put your mind at rest.

I hope this was of some help.

 

[Happy Horse]

[ QUOTE ]
There is a drug that can treat it but according to my vet it is very much a last resort as it can cause complications.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you may be talking about Cimetidine (sp?) iin which case my horse was one of the first in the Country to be tried on it and it made no difference whatsoever! I did get free vet call outs once a month for a year though as he came to measure them!

 

[Jo C]

Thanks Sirena yep he's a grey Connemara. He's had the ones under the tail since he was about 6 (he's 14 now), I've kept an eye on them but they haven't really changed. I'm more worried about the ones on the sheath and on the penis as they have only appeared recently and seem much more aggressive than all the others. I am going to go and talk to my vet I think, as I have to go into the surgery to pick up something else. Thanks for your help

 

[Jo C]

I did some reading about cimetidine when the melanomas first appeared but didn't bother looking into it further as I just accepted they were part of owning a grey and they weren't bothering him at all. What a shame it didn't make any difference but very interesting to know thanks.

 

[SirenaXVI]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you may be talking about Cimetidine

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the one! Could not for the life of me remember what it was called! Shame that it had no effect for your neddie.