Hi there, I have a 18 year old mare and weve been dealing with melanomas since Ive owned her about 5 years she had them when I rescued her. The have doubled if not trippled in the last year and things are getting rough, Wondering if anyone has had to deal with this or has and links or info they can share.. Anything will help there is not much info out there.
thanks

hi there,
i had a 28 year old arabian get it around his eye and on his lip. where is your horse's located at? it is not generally fatal to horses like it is in humans unless it is around the anus because there it can end up obstructing bowel movements. as far as i was able to gather from my vet, they are unsightly, but for the most part are not a general health concern unless they are growing in places that affect body functionality.

have you talked to your vet?

Hello I am new to this forum.

I have two TWH's with metabolic issues; the 24 yo has developed melanomas that I am more than willing to blame on the EMS, although that might not be true.

He has one on an eye lid. He HAD two in one ear and, one in the other ear when he had his physical in September. Now he has three in each ear.

The vet wants to leave them alone unless they start growing rapidly or split open.

He was itching his head/ears a lot, even though I keep them clean and there's nothing but the melanomas in there; I figure the new ones growing in his ears were causing the itch.

I mentioned it to the private company I buy the herbs from that help control his insulin. They sent me an herbal product to try, assuring me there was nothing that would counter-act anything he gets for the EMS.

I read up on all the herbs anyway - lol

I have no idea if this herbal mix will shrink the melanomas he already has, or if it will prevent new ones from growing. I do know that within 24 hours of giving him his first loading dose, he quit rubbing his head, so it must at least stop the itch and be doing something positive.

I worry because the external melanomas generally are not cancerous but my understanding is the internal ones can be.

I worry because these are in his ears and over one eye. What happens if the tendrils reach into the brain cells of one of the most perfect horses to ever be born? Yes I am biased but more than one professional has commented on what an exceptional horse he is (he's my avatar and he was 22 in that pic). Someone also once commented if "they had a hundred horses like Duke, they would be very wealthy".

This fella has been my bud for more than 21 years. I know I have to send him on to his ancestors some day, but not yet.

This is the link to the herbs I am trying. Herbal Remedies for Horses including Natural Equine Supplements for Laminitis and Founder in Horses- Herbs For Horses

Duke's only been on them two weeks so there's not a lot to say, except he's quit itching his head and he does seem a lot brighter and alert. He is my alpha-dominant horse over three others, and takes his leadership very serious.

Hope this helps some

There is huge benefits to be had with natural products.
The biggest downfall to these-they are based on research for human use. So timing, mixtures & amounts are all still guess work when used on animals.

As long as you see a true positive results.
I have used and had better luck w/ other substances, but each animal is an individual.

Your product;
Garlic-has immune-enhancing allium compounds.

Fenugreek- is derived from the dried seeds of the plant and is used traditionally
in ayurvedic medicine as a demulcent, laxative, and lactation stimulant.

Rosehip- antiinflammatory
improves blood circulation
anitallergenic - reinforces immune defences especially at the respiratory level - it is therefore a useful remedy for the prevention of breathing allergies
diuretic - Rose Hips are particularly beneficial for the digestive system, producing a diuretic effect without irritation of the kidneys.
They are also recommended for kidney or bladder inflammation. By elimination uric acid accumulations, rose hips also help gouty and rheumatic complaints.
astringent - Thanks to the presence of tannins, substances with astringent properties, it is very useful in treating diarrhea.

Clivers- I have no idea what that is but-Cleavers is a tonic that has been used for shrinking tumors and lymphatic drainage, especially with patients whose cancers have reached the lymph nodes.


Burdock-is great for helping the liver and kidneys remove waste.


Echinacea-Treatment and prevention of the common cold and other respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes, streptococcus (strep throat), sinus infections, and other bacterial, viral, and fungal infections
The use of echinacea to treat other types of infections and to support or improve immune function in people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome and other serious conditions is not well-studied. There are no well-controlled trials to support the use of echinacea in these situations and no evidence of benefit. Echinacea is considered safe for general, short-term use of up to 12 weeks. Using echinacea for longer than 12 weeks at a time is not recommended, because some research suggests that long term use of more than 12 weeks duration may suppress or decrease immune function.

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) have anti-inflammatory properties.

Webpage also doesn't give direction for dosing or animal size. A scoop isn't accurate across the board. Ie.. mini=draft horse. Am =Pm or both. 1=2 X daily, etc...


Best of luck w/ your guy.

Thank you Ltc4H for all of that information!

They probably meant cleavers and someone mis-spelled it.

The company provided a one ounce cup that Duke gets twice daily, but I have no way of knowing what the exact mix is.

So far Duke's eyes are "lit up" and very alert like they used to be so hopefully this mix will continue to keep him comfortable and stop new growth.

In all honesty, I think the virus was always in Duke but perhaps his age, combined with the metabolic issues, triggered them.

I had a Pre-purchase on him when he was a coming 3 yr old. The vet found a small polyp way down under his tongue. It was small enough the vet popped it off with his thumb.

When Duke was 16 or 17 he started to slobber excessively, so I had the vet look to see if that polyp had grown back. Sure enough, it had but this time Duke had to be sedated to have it cut out.

The vet didn't feel like it would grow back fast enough to have to worry again but it leads me to believe that whatever virus Duke might carry to cause that polyp, might be a relative to the one causing these melanomas.

He is the handsome fella in my avatar. Thank you so much for your input and well wishes

I agree with this. I did have a grey (my only grey!) and although I love greys you have to worry about this. When they do appear on certain areas you do have to be careful. I have heard also that arabs can get melanoma quite abit.