# Grey mare has lump under her tail, should I be worried?



## Paint it Lucky (27 June 2011)

I have recently started riding a lovely grey ex-polo mare, I was grooming her the other day when I noticed she has a wierd lump under her tail, it is near the base of her dock, on the underside of her tail, circular, raised and about an inch in diameter.  I was discussing it with her owner today, she says it's appeared gradually over the last few months, gradually getting bigger.  I think it may be a melanoma of some kind, owner wonders if it's an ingrowing hair.  We are wondering if it's worth calling the vet.  Has anyone any experience of this sort of thing?


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## Bluejazz (27 June 2011)

Yes i had a grey with melanoma and unfortunately it common with greys. Your description does sounds like it prob is melanoma. Best to get the vet to have a look at it as prob is melanoma. It is manageable but best to get vets advise


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## angelish (27 June 2011)

hi
it does sound like a melinoma but don't panic as i have known at least 4 horses with them through out there life and they all lived well into there 20s and apart from not looking very nice they didn't cause any problems


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## Tiffany (27 June 2011)

Does sound like a melanoma although your vet will confirm. If it is they don't usually cause any problems although if it starts to grow quickly or change shape then best to get checked again.

My grey mare had one under her tail when I bought her 9 years ago and it's still there and not caused her any problems.


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## Orangehorse (28 June 2011)

I think up to 80% of greys get this, but many live a long time with the lumps and bumps.

I have a grey pony with a growing lump on his head and another between his front legs.  The vet says there is nothing to be done, and their oldest grey with these is 26.  When they last examined the pony they said the problem comes when the growth exceeds the blood supply which makes it ulcerate and unable to heal, which unfortunately means PTS.


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## Marydoll (28 June 2011)

Sounds like its been there to long and also to big to be a problem in a hair follicle. If i was a betting woman id say melanoma, but as previous posters said, try not to get to freaked out just now, i'd deffo get it checked out by the vet though


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## carol993 (29 June 2011)

My horse has 2 on his tail in the hair. He is white and they are melanomas. I treat them myself and one had now gone, the other drastically smaller and the stuff I use stops them growing back. Am sure my horse had them a long while before I got him, he is now 15 years old. They are more common than you think.


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## GlamourPuss86 (29 June 2011)

melanoma - without a doubt.


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## Amymay (29 June 2011)

Yes you must get the vet.


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## hayinamanger (29 June 2011)

carol993 said:



			My horse has 2 on his tail in the hair. He is white and they are melanomas. I treat them myself and one had now gone, the other drastically smaller and the stuff I use stops them growing back. Am sure my horse had them a long while before I got him, he is now 15 years old. They are more common than you think.
		
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I am interested to know what you use to treat them.

OP yes, sounds like a melanoma, your vet will diagnose/advise.  I have never known equine melanomas to be surgically removed but they are often treated with Cimetedine tablets.


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## mytwofriends (29 June 2011)

A friend of mine had a wonderful grey mare, who was riddled with melanomas. She was 30 when she passed away, and that was from a colic attack.  She had been sprightly and cheeky until the end, and had kept fabulous condition throughout her life.

So don't panic - get the vet out to check the lump out - but as others have said, it's a very common condition in greys.

Hope all works out ok.


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## EAST KENT (30 June 2011)

My grey mare first developed a melanoma at 13 years, and had to be put down at 24 after it eventually spread internally.She continued hunting and hacking with no probs until then.No treatment back then..interested to hear of any modern solutions?


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## Mary3952 (18 January 2012)

carol993 said:



			My horse has 2 on his tail in the hair. He is white and they are melanomas. I treat them myself and one had now gone, the other drastically smaller and the stuff I use stops them growing back. Am sure my horse had them a long while before I got him, he is now 15 years old. They are more common than you think.
		
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Can you tell me what you treated your horses melanoma with?


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## ILuvCowparsely (18 January 2012)

my mare has melonomas quite a few  dont changing much vet says keep eye on them .


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