What would you do with this melanoma?

[HollyWoozle]

I posted recently about long term fly protection as my mare Belle has a melanoma in an awkward place. This is it this morning:





She is 22 and a bit stiff and every time she gets up from a roll or a snooze, she scrapes the skin off of it. It is not an issue when she has her winter woollies and so far it has never been infected or anything like that - I was putting equisalve on but have reverted to Battles yellow fly cream (I totally covered it after taking the photos). Of course this doesn't last long as it gets wiped off the next time she gets up.

I have asked the vets if they will prescribe Spotinor to help keep the flies off but what would you do with it otherwise? Would you cover it? I can stick a bandage and polster over it but to what end... I am not sure it's a good idea to keep it covered all summer and I am not sure as bandage will stay on, but I feel bad letting her walk around with this open wound. I will not send her away to have it removed - she has been retired for many years as she is unpredictable and she hasn't travelled in all the 15 years we have had her. Plus we will then be left with an open wound anyway I guess. She has many other melanomas under her tail and they are all looking fine (as far as they go!). Basically I am nursing her through her retirement but of course want to ensure good quality of life.

She is quite opinionated and seems to have no issue with me plastering cream/salve on it, does not behave like it's sore but of course it must be!

 

[TheMule]

I think I would try to find would find a creative solution with a bit of absorbent padding on a fly rug

 

[Aperchristmas]

Ooo that does look sore poor thing. Agree with TheMule - do you think a fly rug would help protect it?

 

[ycbm]

I think I would try and find a vet who will laser it out at home, if such a thing is even possible.

I wouldn't say it's necessarily sore, it may not have the nerve endings to transmit pain.

.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thanks all. Stupidly I hadn’t even considered a fly rug but maybe that could work with some absorbent padding of some sort as suggested. I suppose that might also rub it a bit but at least wouldn’t be in the dirt and would keep the flies off too.

@ycbm it’s worth an ask I guess… I worry then about having a wound to try and heal up anyway but I guess this will be ongoing whereas that would be temporary.

 

[JenJ]

I'd be concerned about a mesh type fly rug being abrasive against the wound and irritating it. Perhaps one of the sweet-itch type rugs that are more of a closed cloth, and softer, could work? They tend to have more comprehensive tail coverage anyway. Is she happy in summer rugs?

 

[HollyWoozle]

She has never worn a fly rug and hasn’t worn a rug in general in many years but I did test putting one on and taking it off again a few years ago and she was fine with that. I don’t know how she’d be temperature-wise but she has free access to stables, which tend to stay quite cool, and has other areas of shade as well.

I was wondering if I could stitch something less abrasive in over that area but guess I’d need to wash it pretty often. Or maybe I could get it healed up with a bandage first and then it wouldn’t be an open wound when rug went on.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Maybe I could stitch some velcro in and have washable satiny patches that I could stick to the Velcro, wash and rotate to cover the melanoma… but maybe I’m getting carried away!

 

[JenJ]

Maybe I could stitch some velcro in and have washable satiny patches that I could stick to the Velcro, wash and rotate to cover the melanoma… but maybe I’m getting carried away!

Maybe you're not getting carried away...!

This is the snuggy hoods sweet itch rug (which I know is a nice soft material as I've just sent one back for being too small ) https://snuggyhoods.com/collections/summercollection/products/sweet-itch-rug

They do a couple of custom attachments for it, including an udder cover - looking at this video it then velcros to the rug, so you could 'borrow' their specifications to make something yourself? (or just buy the snuggy hood versions, in which case give them your email address to get a 10% first order code) https://snuggyhoods.com/products/udder-cover

 

[HollyWoozle]

This is really helpful, thanks @JenJ! I’ll get my thinking cap on and discuss with vet too.

 

[Northern Hare]

How about Spray on Plaster - it's actually a silver based spray which dries to a hard'ish coating to protect the wound.

 

[JenJ]

This video might be more helpful for your udder cover style creations

 

[meleeka]

@ycbm it’s worth an ask I guess… I worry then about having a wound to try and heal up anyway but I guess this will be ongoing whereas that would be temporary.

My experience of lasering is that they heal really quickly. If you can find someone who'll do it at your yard, I'd do that in the Autumn.

I have a Silver spray from the vet. That would dry it up, but of course won't stop her knocking it.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I did wonder about the spray and wasn’t sure how tough it would be but it’s worth a go… she hates spray of course so I’ll have to work on that!

 

[SO1]

I would also try the Alu spray.

 

[Surbie]

If you go down the snuggy route and fancy making something, drop me a PM. I have mine in Snuggies, and I have at least 3 large but destroyed rugs I use for scraps, from my horse's wonderful time with rug-wreckers. I'd happily send you some - I might have a spare belly flap that has velcro attached already.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thanks @Surbie, that's really kind. I will do some research!