Rapid melanoma growth in old horses

[Littlelegs]

My 23 year old has had a small, unchanging melanoma under her dock since her early teens. Over the last few years, a few more small ones have grown very slowly in the same area. However in the last 6months she's grown another 6 under her dock, which vary between pea & marble size. And much as it pains me to admit it, she has 5 elsewhere on her body the same size. They appeared 4 months or so ago & I have so far been trying to pretend they were flybites to myself. Obviously its the internal ones she no doubt has that concern me. What I don't want is to find her in the last stages of colic, or another painful end caused by internal growth. So I'd be interested in how much the external ones relate to the internal ones if anyone knows, & any experiences, good or bad.

 

[Archina]

Ive known quite a few greys that have been pts because of melanoma's and am afraid all you can really do is monitor them closely for any signs that the tumours inside are starting to cause problems or pain.

Try green tea capsules, it kept a friends grey going for a few years after his melanoma's exploded.
Ive got two greys and know I am going to have to deal with it when they are older but they are still relatively young atm.

 

[Littlelegs]

Thanks for the reply. I'm under no illusions that as she's otherwise in perfect health, her melanomas are likely to be the cause of pts sooner or later. I suppose I'd just like a rough idea of how long other oldies have gone on with growing ones, so I can avoid her suffering.

 

[Littlelegs]

Shameless bump.

 

[dotty1]

I looked after a 30 year old grey pony last year. In the June I noticed a small 'bump' on his cheek. Vet said it was probably a splinter or similar. It grew and vet came back, did ultrasound, drained it of blood and said it wouldn't get any bigger.. by the autumn it was the size of a small football on/in his cheek/jaw. He was happy in himself and managed to keep weight on in the good long grass. He was put down just before xmas, before he deteriorated as it was growing at quite a rate.
It was amazing how fast it grew in 6 months

 

[the shadster]

My grey mare had melanomas under her tail from about the age of 8 through to 28 when she was pts (post mortem revealed tumour of the spleen). I dont know if it was a melonoma that had metastasized or if it was a tumour of some other origin. She did only have them under her dock, nowhere else on her body, but I do remember them multiplying somewhat in her early twenties. I would guess she easily had a dozen or more, all pea or marble sized. The only advice i could give would be whilst she appears in good health, is to just enjoy her and try not to worry too much. She could be fine for years yet x

 

[dotty1]

Am I right in thinking its only black skinned grey horses that tend to get melanomas, not pink skinned???

 

[topstripelucy]

My big grey ID has had melanomas under her tail since she was about 8. Then when she was 12 she developed them in her jawline just below her ears. The vet, at the time said she would last 5/6 years before she would loose condition, get colic symptoms and have to be pts (that put her at 17/18!

She is now coming up 23 and still fat and fit. Her jaw has not got any bigger, I wouldnt have said but under her tail you cannot distinguish her vulva from her bottom! I hate looking at it as I get so upset (owned her since she was 4) and love her to pieces however I just keep my eye on her and any sign of discomfort she will be pts as she was the best horse ever and I would never want her to suffer!

 

[Littlelegs]

Thanks for sharing, I've never seen one that size before on a face.

 

[Littlelegs]

The shadster- thanks, I suppose I'm just worried that after lying dormant so long they are going to continue growing at the rate they have this summer. And yes she's still very much in good health thanks.
Topstripelucy- very similar, her tail now looks all wonky plaited, when it was fine in July.
It's hopeful that others have had rapid growth that has then slowed again.

 

[BlackRider]

it might be worth trying to boost her immune system.

I've got a 31yo and there are quite a few under her tail, one is jsut a bit bigger than a cherry, I make sure her feeds are quite sloppy, then everything passes through ok.

 

[Ibblebibble]

my grey is the same, under her tail is a mass of lumps, my way of judging is to keep an eye on her poo!! as long as she is still producing elephant size poos (well she is 17hh lol) i assume she is ok. it is a worry of course but i try not to dwell on it.

 

[nikicb]

My section A has had a wart like one on his face I think pretty much since we got him when he was 8. Then nothing really. Then about three years ago (when he was 17) I noticed a couple under his tail - about 1cm across.

Then all of a sudden about two years ago he had a couple that seemed to suddenly appear on his head - not sure of the technical term but around the bony sections between the top of the eye and the ear. Looking back on photos a few years old though I could see they had been there a little while, but didn't seem as prominent (to me - I don't think anyone else really notices them).

I chatted to the vet as I was worried that they would be growing inwards, but he said they took the path of least resistance which would be outwards. My vet is pretty nonplussed by them and says they are unlikely to kill him and the pony doesn't know he has them. He has a few more under his tail, but they are still small and until they cause a problem, if at all, we're not doing anything about them. He's 20, pretty much retired and a pet so as they cause him no worry, I try not to think about them. Hope that helps. x

Here's a picture - if you look carefully you can see the bump below and to the right of his ear. He's still a gorgeous boy though.

ETA - have a look back at old photos - like me, you may realise that they have been there longer than you think. x

 

[Littlelegs]

Apache warlord & ibblebibble - thanks, & her digestive system is definitely not having any issues just yet.
Nikicb- I'd love to think so, but the other ones I remember feeling as tiny pin size lumps before they grew, & the dock ones I feel everyday (slightly paranoid). And very cute pony too.
Vet was never bothered about the original dock ones. The more recent spread under her dock I discussed on the phone. He basically said there's little to be done, she could be riddled internally too, or she could live to 40, & just to keep an eye out. The others on her body I've not had him to. Mainly because I was hoping they weren't & pretending they didn't exist.

 

[BlackRider]

No worries

My vet did say there is a drug that can be used, although he said in his experience it doesn't tend to make them go away, but stops them getting worse.

Strangely, when we had the very bad weather 2 winters ago, both my oAP and younger horse (also grey) developed a melanoma when stuck in, and in both cases they dropped off a few months later...

Although I did use sarc ex for a while, as it's meant to boost the immune system.

 

[Littlelegs]

I looked into quite a few things, both myself & with vet. But even over the last year she's the picture of health otherwise. Her immune system & every other bodily function is like that of a horse in its prime. Even a recent virus that a few local yards have had, she was the only one unaffected on ours. I'm certainly not planning anything yet, its more giving myself an idea of what could happen if they keep growing at this rate. I want her around as long as possible, but don't want to risk colic as her final memory. Of course we're nowhere at that level yet, there'll be other subtle signs first I'm sure.

 

[Archina]

I have seen green tea work guys!

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-threat-of-melanomas-grey-horses

 

[Jnhuk]

I had my first horse pts with melanomas age 23/24 on vets advice due to a rapidly growing one on his inner eyelid. We had issued keeping weight on him through his last winter too. He had other melanomas under his dock and round anus which looked unslightly but didn't seem to bother him that much. The eyelid one had been present for many a year without changing but suddenly started to grow.

One of my current horses has a very large melanoma over his parotid which started about age 8 but only started to grow rapidly after the vet biopsied it.

It is very considerable now but doesn't affect him apart from needing a special bridle. However, I have been warned I could find him in a nasty way if the melanoma grows in to the guttural pouch.

I love greys (apart from all the cleaning) but they are prone to melanomas.

My lad has had tried cimetidine and herbal supplements but neither seemed to do much so now we just leave alone. He is now 16 but I doubt he will live to see 23/24 I hope that I am wrong.

I am curious about the green tea capsules as not heard of them before?

You can just about see it on this head shot at a recent hunter trials with my OH
http://www.peak-photo.co.uk/index.p...pageId=101&id=170238&direction=next&start=200

 

[Littlelegs]

Thanks jnhuk, & fingers crossed for your current horse x