Mare problem

I have a mare that has a swollen, crusty, labia on one side. I gave her penicillin shots for three days, washed the area well, and put some antibotic ointment on it for a few days. It does not seem any better after a week. There is no wound, just maybe a few raw spots, it does not look infected, it's just swollen and gets crusted over.

I was wondering if anyone had seen this and what I should put on it. I may try to borrow a trailer and haul her in to the vet next week, but was wondering what I should do till then.

Thanks for your help.

I think a vet visit is in order. Will he make a house call so you don't have to borrow a trailer? Ours comes to the house for a small fee. I think you are doing right till then, just keep it clean. If it was only for a few days I wouldn't worry but after a week I would be concerned. Could it be a bee sting or some sort of allergic reaction? She may need some antihistomine. Good luck in getting her right.

Thanks for the reply vidaloco.

I did not wait and got a trailer this morning. I took her in and the vet thinks it is CANCER. Oh my. She's a paint mare and he says he's seen this before in light skinned horses. He thinks it would be a little tricky to remove it himself but he has done some in the past in the same place and they always come back because you can't get it all or it will come back deeper in. Bad news for me and the mare. I live in a rural area but there is a different vet I may talk to Monday. I was too upset after the first visit to stop in there with the mare.....

She is around 20 (I need to look up dates) and I got her as a foal and broke her myself. She is a wonderful, nice acting mare and I'd like to do all I can to save her but then again I hate to put her thru surgery if it will just come back in 6 months or so. Has anyone else dealt this cancer in this area before? Do horses do well with surgery?

:(

I found this article, don't know how helpful it is. So sorry to hear it wasn't a simple bee sting. I'm not sure if I would have any surgery done, it seems when invaded cancer has a way of fighting back in some instances by growing more. Best of luck to you and my prayers are with you




Fortunately, some of the most common types of cancer in the horse are benign; they are non-aggressive and do not spread to other parts of the body.


Grey horses frequently have nodular masses or "melanomas" about their body. These are most frequently found under the tail and around the dock, but can also occur behind the jaw and in the eye. With the aid of instruments such as laparoscopes and endoscopes to look inside the horse, vets can often observe small melanomas within the abdomen of

Greys and in the guttural pouches (throat area).


In many cases, melanomas remain small and harmless to the horse. This is contrary to the situation in humans, where a large number of melanoma cases are very serious.


However, on rare occasions something that starts as a small, innocuous black lump under the tail or below the ear will spread throughout the body and transform into an invasive, destructive cancer.


It is for this reason that vets often note the presence of melanomas in grey horses presented for pre-purchase examination and they may be a cause for concern. It can be almost impossible to predict how they will progress on one clinical examination alone.


It has been estimated that 80% of grey horses, of either gender, aged more than 15 develop melanoma, some of which will behave aggressively and not be amenable to treatment.


Many of the cancers that occur in humans are now amenable to treatment through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and these techniques have been applied to equine cancer with considerable success.


The treatment of particular cancers depends upon the type involved. Some types of cancer cell are very effectively killed by radiation, while others are relatively unaffected.


It also depends upon the location of the cancer. A cancer that is confined to the skin can have creams applied; those deep within the chest or the abdomen are relatively inaccessible.