Ovarian tumour experiences??

[blitznbobs]

My mare has had a sudden personality change. She has gone from horizontally laid back to a nightmare to deal with then 2 weeks ago she went a bit unlevel behind. It's really slight and not every stride but it's definitely not right. I had the Physio to her last week and she said her back wasn't perfect but she didn't think that was causing the unlevelness. The vet came and when I told him her symptoms he suggested that it could be an ovarian tumour . She due to be scanned on Tuesday but I was wondering if anyone had any experience of these kind of conditions and is it likely she will return to full work (dressage) thanks

 

[JanetGeorge]

You're unlikely to get such a quick change from an ovarian tumour - most will show niggling little signs for months. More likely it is a anovulatory haemorrhagic follicle (they can get HUGE - and cause considerable discomfort.) A scan is the first step - ideally by a vet who does quite a bit of scanning (some do very little and will mis-diagnose.) A good article here - http://www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/AHF.shtml

Have you seen her in season laely?

 

[webble]

I agree with JanetGeorge a tumour would build up over time, several months at least. A scan will show you a lot more and you can make a decision from there.

I'm jumping the gun here but if you did end up with ovaries being removed it is a fairly straightforward op and they can be back in gentle work in around 6 weeks

 

[catembi]

An ID mare I once owned had a granuloma on her ovary, which made her behave like a stallion. When removed, it weighed 15 lbs & was the size of a football. The stallion-like behaviour stopped very quickly & she became docile...too docile for me, so I sold her.

T x

 

[magicsmum]

My 21 year old mare was diagnosed with a granulosa cell tumour in February this year. Was found when she went off her food for twenty four hours, while examining her the tumour was found, was about 5cms. We hadn't thought much about her behaviour but she had been in season right up til Xmas as were few of the other mares. She had been bucking violently, before Xmas but always tend to be full of it in winter. She came back in season end of Feb, over a couple of weeks she totally changed, none of mares would leave her alone, she became very attached to one of them, was constantly stressed when away from them, became almost impossible to handle at times, even her neigh became very deep and stallion like, original plan was to rescan early April, to give us bit of time to decide what to do. I was worried about putting an old horse through surgery, after long conversations with our vets and vet at rossdales, we decided to go ahead. Surgery was done on 22nd April, by keyhole surgery under standing sedation, the tumour had doubled in size. We visited her next morning, she was happily munching hay, not at all stressed as she had been 24 hours before, the hormones apparently quickly leave the body. She was there for five days after surgery, was suppose to have box rest for week til staples came out but wanted to be out, so we sectioned off small area, she was fine with this. After staples came out she then had a bit bigger area of turnout. After three weeks, she has now started very light work and should be back to what she was doing before within couple of months! She is now back to the lovable calm Trix we all know and love. Would definitely have the surgery done if this is your problem. The scars are very small and neat, shouldn't be too noticeable once all the hairs grown back. We thought we were going to lose our beautiful girl, but so glad she's had another chance!

 

[Lgd]

Yes - not a tumour but very overactive ovaries, loads of bother with retained follicles (one ovary ended up with three follicles the smallest of which was 68mm in diameter). She became very difficult to handle and she was going lame with it, couldn't control her weight, crest bigger than her stallion brother. Regumate made her even lamer and even off it she was intermittently lame in time with her cycle (which was hugely erratic as well). Previous vet mucked me around and insisted she had degenerative ligament disease and the reaction to the hormones was a red herring. New vet was much more receptive and by this time her behaviour was outrageous. Removed both ovaries under standing sedation and four days later she came home a different girl. 8 weeks post op she was sound having been intermittently lame for nearly a year.
She has stayed sound since apart from with a foot abscess. I'm rehabbing her very slowly as we are not sure how much long term damage has been done to the ligaments. She is now the affectionate little mare I bred and not the raging red head she had become. I'm hacking her out with no issues and she had not hacked out prior to the op for almost 5 years due to the unpredictable behaviour.

ETA her weight has dropped steadily to normal and I'm actually feeding her like a normal horse for the first time in 5 years.