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Author Message
New Member:
Taylor96

Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2005 - 6:00 pm:

Hello,

I am new to this group. Just signed up today. Merry Christmas to me and my equine partner.

I have an Arabian Gelding, rising 10, with a few small melanomas under his tail. There were a few on his prepuce about a year ago. UC Davis encouraged me to do a "reefing" procedure. It went well, not as big a deal as first thought, so they removed a few on the small masses under his tail. I did not ask them to do this, they called it a bonus. I was a bit peeved and they seem to have come back + a few. Still very small. The problem with the reefing surgery was the 3 days @ UC Davis barn + the surgery really upset my boy. He was fairly "nutted up" when I came to take him home on the 3rd day. I had to walk him for 20 minutes before loading him in the trailer to get him to calm down.

This stay @ UCD is where we suspect the gastric ulcer started. I now know it can only take a few days for a horse to get an ulcer. He started loosing weight (probably the small strongle worms as a filly came in from Canada PMU loaded with them a few months prior or some other horse that was not wormed on a regular basis and turned out in the same pasture I use for my horse... and his coat was dull)

A few months later he developed mystery colic and my DVM strongly suspected gastric ulcer. My horse has a very unstressful life, but he is very sensitive. If I worry, he worries, so I have had to learn to mask my feelings. This fact compounded with the stay @ UCD pushed him over the top. It was close to the Thanksgiving holiday, so we did not mess around and hauled my gelding up to UC Davis. He was belly taped, x-rayed ~ no sand or stones. (not ultra sounded) Responded to GastroGuard, fluids and a great deal of prayer. Was never scoped. Decided that this would stress Taylor more and since he was responding to Gastroguard ~ decided that the ulcer(s) was part of the problem and 99% probability that he had encysted small strongles...test came back from belly tap...with proteins that suggested encysted small strongyles
infestation (You just feel like a schmuck especially when I worm my horse regularly, but there are those who do not where I board ~ horses get turned out in pastures where reinfestation is likely) After Taylor came home, did the Pancur Purge after finishing up on the GastroGuard for 28 days per instructions from UC Davis.

I had a "Come to Jesus" discussion with my barn manager and he made everybody do the Pancur Purge and keep on on their worming schedule.

The only negative occurrence this past year was an adverse reaction to the newer Merial Recombitec WNW vaccine. Never using that product again, ever. That's another story....

So, I am observing the melanomas under his tail and a DVM who is also an Equine Acupuncturist told me about a website www.earthangle.com that has all sorts of testimonials etc. I found that they welcome Veterinarian & Retailer Inquiries? I have a call into the Acupuncturist but she has yet to return my call. It's the holiday season, she may be on vacation. I have also posted a message on a yahoo group for equine sarcoids and was contacted by:


Dr Mac Barksdale
4270 Aloma Ave, Suite 124-33A
Winter Park, Florida, 32792
Cell 407 342 0938 mac.barksdale@yahoo.com
https://www.antibioticfailure.com/drmac/vet.htm
https://www.antibioticfailure.com/drmac


"TF is the best thing I have found to retard the growth of the Melanomas. Most of them will shrink 20% or so the first 30 days and then about 10% per month.

I suggest you use the TF Animal Stress Pack... one packet daily for seven days. and then the daily dose of the P&S... Continue to use it for at least 60 or 90 days before making a fresh decision. Get it form you original supplier. If you have trouble let me know.

If I can answer other questions or be of further service, please advise;
Mac "

While I appreciate his contacting me, I just don't know what to believe...

If anyone has had a positive result using the 4-Life Products, I would like to hear about it and on the same note if anyone has used the Nublada's Cure from Earth Angel?

I have read all about the traditional "western" drugs used for melanomas etc. Sometimes they work, some times they don't. Drugs have side effects and I think I want to try the holistic approach. There is a vaccine in development @ UCD under Dr. Theon. It's not going to be ready for a number of years. I have heard that it's not thought to be effective on the type of melanomas under the tail dock area. So, it's not going to help me or my horse. Time will tell. Dr. Theon just needs more funding, I hope he gets it to continue his work.

Thanks for any input. I thought if anyone had any experience with new methods of treatment western or eastern...this would be the place to find it.

Kind Regards,

Deborah & Taylor
Member:
Huntjump

Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2005 - 7:15 pm:

Deborah- Dr. O would be best to answer most your questions from a medical standpoint but I would like to add a few things. I have a grey T-bred gelding who was just recently diagnosed with internal melanoma, most likely malignant. He has had melanomas for years and I even had 4 lbs of tumors lasered off his anus at Marion Dupont Equine Med Center in Leesburg, VA 2 years ago. I have tried many things over the years, the Nublada's cure, the TF, and Cimitedine. Melanomas are just something that can be quite baffling. It's usually hard to tell if something is slowing the growth rate, or retarding the formation. Cimitedine I believe has about a 50% chance of slowing the growth process or shrinking them. It's kind of a shot in the dark, you just don't know what the response from your horse will be. There also is a vet at New Bolton (or was previously at New Bolton) that has created the vaccine. It is very expensive and not a guarantee either.
Melanomas are tough, and my poor boy has had to live with them for a long time. It's frustrating, but unfortunately there is no cure, and in my experience over the years, most veterinarians have told me that a horse will die of something else, not of the melanomas.
Good Luck.
New Member:
Taylor96

Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2005 - 9:30 pm:

Kristen ~

Thanks for your input. I have also heard of holistic DVM's using an herb called Turmeric (sp)

Yes, my DVM told me what he does with his grey mare...I thought I was going to get some brilliant kernel of knowledge..."Don't look at them" I told him to keep his day job and that his "stand-up" need some work He is a great DVM, don't get me wrong. The challenge is you can try everything and nothing seems to change the outcome.

I don't know what I am going to do. I may try the Nublada's cure for a couple of months and keep records etc. If I try the TF again, it will be the human formula. I keep praying and hope for the best.

Thanks for your input. I wish you the best with your gelding. I am sure he has a very good life with you. You have done your best for him.

Kind Regards,

Deborah
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005 - 10:39 am:

Welcome Kristen,
We have reviewed what transfer factors are Equine Medications and Nutriceuticals » Alternative or Herbal Medications » Transfer Factor from 4Life and what evidence there might be that this product does what it says it does. Previously we concluded:
quote:

Hmmm....looking again at the research the 4Life folks present, stimulation of NK immunity cells in a petre dish by poorly defined small peptides, is a ...LONG...LONG... way from proof that this is a useful oral supplement that may increase protection from infectious disease. I find no support for using these things orally. In living subjects, currently the research seems to indicate that the stimulation is both antigen specific and greatly attenuated when one species transfer factor is put into another species. There are not many diseases of chickens or cows (I have now seen two different statements as to the origin of the TF in the 4Life advertisements) that would be much concern in horses.

Also we have other testimonials in that discussion and they are not encouraging. The site you reference starts with "Life may be a risky proposition" but what I can find on this product suggests "this site definitely represents a risk to your pocketbook".

For more information on Melanomas see the article associated with this forum and you can access it by clicking » Melanomas » off the navigation bar above.
DrO
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