How common is cancer in miniatures?

[SandyWI]

One of my geldings has come up limping a few weeks ago. I checked his foot, and cleaned it out really well and couldn't find a thing. I got pliers and put pressure all around it and no reaction. I kept him in his stall for two days thinking maybe he got kicked somewhere up higher on the leg. After two days he was still limping, so I took him to the vet. They did a nerve block on the foot and he still limped. They sent me home with bute and stall rest for five days.

He's still limping. Now they want me to bring him back so they can start doing nerve blocks higher up on the leg. There is no heat anywhere in the leg and no swelling.

He'll be going back in later this week. I don't know why, but I worry about cancer. Maybe because I had a dog that had the same symptoms and he had cancer in the leg.

Is it very common, other than on horses with white hair or pink skin around their eyes?

 

[Minimor]

I have to think that cancer (of the sort that would cause lameness like you describe) is very rare in horses.

Of the cancers that most often affect horses, none cause lameness--these would be more skin cancers, malignant melanoma, bloody wart, that sort of thing. There have been cases of tumors in the brain or spine, but I don't think I'd consider them at all common. I don't believe I've ever heard of a case of bone cancer in a horse--not saying it can't happen, just that it would be rare.

Chances are very good that whatever is wrong with your horse is not cancer--it's much more likely to be trauma related. I've had a horse get kicked in the shoulder, and he was lame for 3 months or more. Heat & swelling was minimal--if you didn't know that he'd been kicked you would never have been able to tell based on a physical exam. The only reason I knew that he'd been kicked was he had a perfect muddy hoof print on his shoulder--if it had been dry weather when he got kicked, we'd have been puzzled for sure.

Hopefully your boy has nothing wrong that can't be cured by more time & rest.

 

[Carolyn R]

One of the most common cancer forms for horses is malignent melanoma. It is linked mostly grey horses. It is no more common in minis than it is in big horses. Now, if you take a bloodline that produces lots of greys, yes, you are going to find it to be more common in the specific bloodline but most likey only because the horses are grey. Alot of people associate this with arabs, but it is due to the fact that alot of arabs are grey or grey out.

Unless you guy is up there and grey, I wouldn't worry too much about melanoma. I am not too knowledgeable on other types of cancers in horses.

Unless you have concerns about water or ground contaminents just see what the vets can find.

Hang in there, and remember, enjoy them while you have them.

Carolyn

 

[Ashley]

IF he is limping with no reason behind it. I would strongly suggest getting a cushings test done. IN our two cushings horses that was the first symptom they had.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Sandee, I would be so careful in using bute. It can be toxic to minis. I have heard of it being used in minis for laminities, but at a very low dose and for only a short period of time. Hope you little guy is back up to feeling better in a few days. Stall rest does wonders sometimes. Corinne

 

[targetsmom]

I would think it could be Lyme Disease. My big gelding was lame a few summers ago - 3 legged lame - and we (2 vets, 2 farriers) thought he had an abcess in his right front hoof, but it turned out to be Lyme Disease.