I have a grey 4 year old mare who had a small pea-sized bump on the fat, muscled part of her butt. I first noticed it about 2 years ago. It grew and flattened to the size of an M & M this year. I have always noticed a bit of heat when I felt the bump. I had the bump removed as it appeared to be growing. After spending over $600 on annual shots, etc. I decided not to send the lump to the lab to be analyzed. My vet said that it looked like a classic melanoma. It looked like the inside of an M & M when she sliced through the middle of it after removing. It was not infiltrated into the muscle, but rather was contained within the skin structure... lying on the surface of the muscle. There was a slight dip in the underlying muscle where the bump had been.. The skin on the butt was too tough and tight to suture - so the "hole" in the skin had to heal on it's own... and continues to heal today - about a month later. It was about the size of the end of a coke can initially - I guess that's about 2 inches i
n diameter. It is now about 3/4 inches in diameter.

Now, I have just noticed a few new small flat bumps under her skin about 8 inches from the incision. The hair became a bit darker around these areas and looked a bit odd so I felt there and found the beginnings of very small bumps. Again, it seems to me that there is a warmer feel around these bumps.

Questions:

1) Does this sound like a melanoma?
2) Is there typically more heat around a melanoma than the surrounding skin?
3) Are there any treatments for melanoma?
4) I think I should just leave it alone if it returns.... what would you do?

I do have the mare on the Hilton Herbs - Immunity mix... as I had read somewhere that it may be beneficial?

Just looking for other's experiences/thoughts.

Thanks,

Cathy

How is your mare now? i see that nobody bothered to reply, i am not an expert but i was always told that there was no heat when it is a melanoma.

Questions:

1) Does this sound like a melanoma?

YES

2) Is there typically more heat around a melanoma than the surrounding skin?

I have not noticed this, but will check when I return to Texas.

3) Are there any treatments for melanoma?

Tagament

4) I think I should just leave it alone if it returns.... what would you do?

Don't EVER cut them off - they will multiply... Try the tagament... Carol

I do have the mare on the Hilton Herbs - Immunity mix... as I had read somewhere that it may be beneficial?

Just looking for other's experiences/thoughts.

Thanks,

Cathy

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Regality had a tiny M and M sized leasion (round and black) on his back that was being rubbed by the saddle. My vet injected it with a steroid and antibiotic (IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) and it hasn't reappeared. He also has one on his neck and one under his brow band... neither of which we are touching because they are causing him NO problem and not changing in size or appearance. My vet didn't want to call them melanomas and didn't want to name them at all.

Good luck to you.

Tagamet is the way to go with melanomas, trouble is that the dose is quite large in terms of human proportions. From what I know, that seems to be the only medication that helps. If you have access to an herbalist... I'm sure there are herbs out there too.

My stallions tail is loaded with Melenomia, it is one bump after another. over the last 4 years they have been popping up a few on his neck, one on his shoulder and now a new on appeared on his rump. None are hot or warm.. just feel like the rest of him heat wise.

He is 28, I have never done anything with them and my vet has never offered any
thing I should be doing. And again he's 28.

I've been told that if something else doesn't get them first then Melenomia could kill them, but usually something else happens before the Melenomia would.

Just what I know..
Georgia

Cathy- the generic name for Tagamet is cimetadine. My sisters' Thorobred cross mare had a large number of them in her old age, & the Tagamet/cimetadine therapy helped her tremendously. She finally did loose Angel at apx. 27 years old, when as Georgia said, if the melanomas' don't get them, something else would likely do so anyway! Keep an eye on them & good luck!
Sandy

I have known literally dozens of grey horses that lived long and productive lives with melanomas, without any kind of treatment.
Carol is right,....anytime I have ever seen a horse with melanomas surgically removed, they spread far more rapidly. Try the Tagamet !!!!
Cathy

My horses in Blegium a long time ago were both grey and loaded with melanoma. The vets there did not want to do abything to it. They lived long lives that way. Last time I saw the daughter (by SKY BANNER)she was 24 and full of life. I doubt she would have been breedable though.


Do you give Tagamet orally?

Christine,

Check with your vet, and make sure it is okay to give a mare if she is in foal.... Not sure about the effects of this - so better check...

Carol

Check with your vet, and make sure it is okay to give a mare if she is in foal.... Not sure about the effects of this - so better check...

Carol

Hi Carol,

Shadow is bay- hope she is pregnant, hasn't been checked yet.
I don't have greys right now, my greys were born in 74 and 80 in Belgium.
So it is given orally then?

Christine

Hi Christine,

Yes it is given orally, and we have given without incident to pregnant mares. We usually get the generic version as it is much cheaper.

This is very interesting, that Tagamet/Cimetidine works with Melanomas. We also have an older mare with melanomas right under the ear and infiltrating into the ear. It does not bother her, but is right under the bridle when she is ridden. The vets can not operate due to the location of the lump, so Tagamet would be an alternative.
You said, its applied orally. Could You please tell me in what dosage and how long? Is there any scientific literature abuot this treatment, how does it work? As cimetidine is a H2-blocker, i.d. cuts the production of acid in the stomac. So the mechanism of reducing melanomas is not quite clear to me.
Thanks for Your help,
Uli.

I just googled melanomas and Tagamet. Very interesting articles. Does not say how it works, just that it does. The article says 2.5 mg 3x a day, is best. Although 1 or 2 times a day is okay.
Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl,
are You sure, its only 2,5 mg x 3 a day? sounds like a rather low dose, as it is given 400mg x 2 or3 times a day for humans to cure ulcers. So as You noted farther up that the dosage was rather high, I`d gather 2,5 grams would be more appropriate.
Uli.

Yes it is 2.5 mg 3x a day. If you cannot give 3 x a day.............................You can split it in to 1-2 doses. The total dosage for a day would be 7.5mg.
The dosage sounded low to me also, but, animals respond differently to medicines than we do. Plus this is an "off label" use for the Tagamet. They probably were studying the use for ulcers in horses and it had a different "side effect". A lot like the drug ######, which was studied to be a heart medication. We all know now that it had a very different side effect.

Cheryl

Not sure where you saw your Cemetidine dosage but....the correct amount is 2.5mg per KILOGRAM of body weight 3xs a day. So yes, Uli, the dosage give IS to low
Glad to hear that PG mares can have the Cemetidine as the Vets do not seem to agree. Guess there just hasn't been enought testing.

HUmmmm very interesting.. I just put two and two together .. knew the name of the drug sounded familiar, but couldn't put my finger on it until someone said ulcer.
Well, I have read that cancer cannot live in an akaline system. and Thrives in Acid enviroment. Tagament takes acid out of the stomach.. very interesting.

Georgia

I wonder if we took Tagamet regularly - if it would PREVENT cancer in humans? Surely they have already studied that...

Carol

Chiron,
Thank you!!!!
I think I was having a mental block. I looked at it several times and even wrote it down..............................I still could not get it right.
Cheryl


Carol,
With the coming of the H2 blockers, Tagamet, Pepcid, Prilosec, and so on. We have prevented a LOT of esophogeal cancers. Now here is the kicker, with the discovery of H. Pylori bacterum and it causing the majority of ulcers; we use antibiotics to get rid of the H. Pylori, yet with getting rid of the H. Pylori we have increased our chances of getting stomach cancer. Go figure.
Cheryl

Well, my grandpa (born 1870) usesd to say "as soon as man find a solution to one problem, nature creates an other one" Or....the more famous "You cann't win for losing"

A friend passed the information on melanoma's & Tagamont on to me. You may be interested in trying homeopathy. I have a 20 yr old grey mare whose entire genital area and the underside of her tail are loaded with melanoma's.

One month ago, I began the following homeopathic treatment:

Silicea 30, 1 dose/week for three weeks then,
Silicea 200, 1 dose/week for three weeks.

The growths are beginning to dissapear after 4 treatments so far.

Cathy, could you please be more specific about the doseage of Silicea how many of those tiny tablets each day for 1 week, then for the next week? and Which Silicea do you use? and how long to you do the treatment... just the 2 weeks? When can you start again if the melanomas are not gone? How long do you give them to disappear before you start the treatment again.

PS: Silicea is also good for thrush!

greetings all:

I have a 24 year old grey gelding with a melonoma on his tail and is now forming those small m&m size bumps around his anus.

My experience so far:

I had a melonoma removed by surgery from his chest about 8 years ago. It multiplied rapidly! one became 5 and grew at an accelerated rate as well.

I took him to another vet more experienced and we had to Freeze it off with liquid nitrogen and it has not come back. (would not reccomend this for a tail) I did find a product called EXTERA that was a native american poltice that has been used successfully to remove the external melonomas where they can be wrapped. It is made from among other things cianne pepper! It is available by perscription from a veterinarian. Use gloves to put it on as it will cause any exposed soft tissue it connects with to burn like pepper spray. (found that one out the hard way, they warned me but I took the short cut, once only!!) It will not harm your skin however.

I have used it on my gelding for the past few years when his melonoma begins to weep and grow. It really works to harden the melonoma and it eventually sluffs off like a callous. It is applied as a paste and you wrap the area or gause it and let it sit for 2 days then re apply. My experience is the melonoma sluffs off after 3 applications. I dont mess with it if I can help it and the use of Tagamet is one I will look into as well. My guess is that your horses rear will soon look like a bunch of worms growing out (those will be the new melonoma growth) You may need some sort of way to halt the growth and Exterra may work for you.

check it out on the web I can send you a pdf off line of the application info and basics of EXTERRA.

Mark

Thanks for this valuable post.

It seems that just as I'm getting cynical about the "mess" that these threads seem to constantly stir up (controversy, bickering, personal attacks) I am reminded that the inspiration behind this type of forum is the free sharing of valuable information.

It's truly magical when it works as it should. Thank you to those of you who've shared remedies.

Allison

just a note:

In my previous post i mispelled xxterra so here is a bit more info to make up for it.

XXTERRA

K.A. Larson DVM, Ph.D.
Larson Laboratories, Inc VETLINE
Fore more information call, write or visit our website
Vetline
425 John Deere Road
Fort Collins, CO. 80524
1-800-962-4554 1-970-484-1900
www.vetlineequine.com

I dont work for them but really like the product.

best of luck

Mark

Hello, those with hemopathy information, I'd very much like to hear more.
I googled Silicea30 and it looks like I should be taking it.. so may order for me and my old boys melanoma.. just popped another one on his hip, don't like the rate I'm seeing them pop up. Thanks Georgia

Regarding Homeopathy:

Clinical Homeopathy is a very subtle and complex discipline that isn't always useful "off the shelf" like allopathic (Western) medicinal treatments. It is an excellent healing discipline for animals and children. Anyone who is interested should consult a clinical homeopath for the best results.

The label or google suggestions on most common classical remedies is anecdotal at best and mostly to satisy FDA laws. In reality many, many things go into finding the right remedy for any condition, human or animal.

There are many excellent books and most areas now have well trained clinicians nearby ready to assist. Temperament, environment, constitution, and more go into a diagnosis. The listed remedies may well help, and it may also be necessary to do a more in depth treatment of the animal's constitution as well.

Anyone who can't find a good homeopath is welcome to email me. I have a great husband and wife team that are dear friends and who help my entire family, including the dogs and horses. They do phone consulations. But, again, an "in person" session with a local practitioner is ideal if you can find it.

More than the "hocus pocus" that western docs would have you believe, did you know that clinical homeopathy predates western medicine and is utlized regularly in European hospitals and by the British royal family?

Good luck!