Successful Treatment

Happily, much of veterinary practice is devoted to routine and preventive care. While there is nothing better than a happy and healthy animal, veterinary training prepares us for the difficult, the catastrophic, and the last resort. Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital provides knowledgeable colleagues, access to equipment, and 24-hour care in support of treatment. We are pleased to highlight some successful outcomes of treatment, and we invite you to share stories of your animals’ recoveries. For more information on health topics for your favorite species, visit the animals page.

A Filly with a Broken Leg Makes a Remarkable Recovery Khouture’s story begins as a foal with a catastrophic leg fracture peopled with a risk-taking team of equine surgeons, a visionary and dedicated owner, a talented support team of caregivers, and a cooperative patient. Khouture turned one year old in June 2000. A black Arab filly with one white sock, she stands 13.1 hands and looks like a normal yearling, but in her owner’s eyes, Khouture is already a champion for surviving the rigors of treatment, while remaining a sensible and loving creature. Read more >

Treatment for an Aggressive Melanoma
An older thoroughbred gelding, Blue had a growing colony of melanomas under his tail and around his anus. Commonly known as ‘gray horse melanomas’ the hard black bumps are usually benign. Three months after removing a tumor on his tail that had become soft and bloody, another tumor in Blue’s anus began to grow aggressively. It appeared to be the size of a grapefruit, and was interfering with his ability to pass manure. Upon examination, we found that the tumor went too far into his body cavity to make surgery an option. We fed Blue an ulcer medication that sometimes reduces melanomas and discussed other options. Can they do colostomies for horses?

Dr. Lisa Gift Krauter searched for other treatments, and discovered that the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Oncology Services & Research Center had begun immunotherapy treatments for melanomas similar to the one already used for sarcoid tumors. Although they had done only a dozen (in Fall 1997), a high percent of cases had been successful. We decided to give it a try, and took Blue to Pilchuck for Dr. Krauter to remove a small tissue sample from the tumor. This was shipped to Pennsylvania to culture into a vaccine. Over the next year, Blue had a visit every three to six weeks from one of Pilchuck’s veterinarians for his intradermal vaccine injection. The first few made him feel sick, but within four months his tumor was dramatically reduced in size. Four years later, no further growth has occurred and the tumor remains insignificant. Kudos and thanks to Dr. Krauter for taking the initiative to look for other treatments.
- Barbara Breckenfeld & Blue

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see also:

Competition & Working Animals
Euthanasia & Saying Goodbye
Pet Memorials
Animal Jokes