Melanoma Updates

Where have the past two months gone? Yikes, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I have heaps of things I’d like to write about but as usual am lacking time and motivation to do so, and it’s not looking like my schedule will open up for a few weeks yet.

On the melanoma front, there are a few updates. As you’ll learn in a later post, I’ve moved barns so had to sort out trailering to Tryon once we moved in early May. I’ve just had confirmation that Goose has a spot on a trailer to Tryon on May 31stfor his first Oncept vaccine! I feel incredibly relieved thet they’re starting and also quite terrified that I need to get the $2,600 together up front within the next week or so to pay for the four loading doses. If this isn’t adulting, I don’t know what is.

Backing up a step, I last left off that I was pulling him off cimetidine as I didn’t feel that it was worth pursuing since I’d decided on Oncept. At that point I was also still looking for a vet, and had been given information on a small animal oncologist willing to administer Oncept to horses. The conclusion of that conversation is as follows:

• Vet is willing to come out to administer vaccine but is admittedly (and understandably) not super comfortable with horses so is unwilling to do anything but the Oncept
• This didn’t bother me in the least, Goose is a good egg and if I felt he needed drugs to get through the quick procedure I always have ace and banamine (for swelling) handy.
• Cost breakdown: 
• $800 PER VACCINE (!!!!)
• $175 “Consultation Fee” PER VISIT (!!!!)
• $50 Farm call fee per visit

…And for that reason, I am out. That would be a grand total of $4100 just for the loading doses, not to mention around $1,000 every six months for his boosters. Holy. Hell. I’ve been saying for years that I feel small animal vets are more expensive than equine vets and this totally proves my theory.

So, in a plot twist that I should have seen coming, I’ve decided to go to Tryon for the treatments. Initially I shied away after hearing mixed reviews from people about their general facility and cost, but overall I’ve heard wonderful things about their oncologist and think it makes the most sense to go with people who know what they’re doing. They are a well-known clinic for the area, really the only major clinic in the area, and most of my research at this point has been very positive aside from occasional hearsay. Plus, the cost breakdown is much more feasible and is broken down thusly:

• $2,600 total for the four loading doses (breaks down to $650 per dose, for reference) 
• $35 clinic fee each time we ship in
• Extra for whatever drugs and banamine they administer, though I find it unlikely they’ll have to sedate him. Happy for him to have banamine to aid any localized swelling if that’s what they recommend 
• Trailering – TBD but my new barn manager is trailering for me and I’m so incredibly grateful she’s willing to make the two hour drive for us

Now the real journey begins, or at least it will at the end of May. Looking at his melanoma the other day, they don’t seem to be too much bigger but I do think there has been some growth, especially on his penis. Under his tail has remained relatively stagnant growth-wise the past month or two, but again there are a few more little ones popping up here and there. Luckily no monster melanomas are sprouting again and I truly hope they never will after the Oncept series. Before he goes in May I’m going to get some definitive measurements and track it carefully moving forward. In the meantime, here’s some pictures of his current situation:

Also shown: his lovely scar from WR1.0

Closer up, kind of blurry but you can see how many are forming this cluster now

In terms of everything else going on, I’m loving the new barn. I’ll do a more complete update later, in fact I’ve written half a post about it already, I’ve just been sidetracked with Saddle Club weekend and my trip to Nashville (more on those later). I feel like Goose and I have both taken a deep breath for the first time in months and we are infinitely more relaxed. He’s been giving me some amazing flatwork in the fields and is getting stronger every ride. So much so that he offered unsolicited gallops the other day in 95 degree heat… delightful. There’s some exciting things ahead for us and I’ll do my best to keep writing about them without letting too much time go by.

His Gooseness is not thrilled about this grazing muzzle