Yes that’s technology for you! It’s an interesting concept. No needle!
Yup, pretty much the most interesting thing I’ve ever been involved with horse-wise. I’m probably never going to have a National Champion Ay-rab, but this is pretty darn cool!
It’s interesting how the vaccine works with the immune system, Well my horse is certainly looking well today ! day after vaccine, no temperature or side effects. I’m going to shave her chest for the next injector at week 2. I was reading today a research paper which shows the pec muscle has slightly better absorption of active. It still fascinates me how the vaccine is blown through the skin! I researched the intradermal injector and it is more effective than delivering active by injection.
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One week on from first injector, no changes to report at this stage. I had observed two weeks prior to starting the Oncept vaccine Holly’s aggressive Parotid tumour looked to have slowed. It was growing and noticeably bigger from week to week. I am hoping it has therefore stabilized and here’s hoping the Oncept may be able to regress it?
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My horse has a tumor in nearly the same exact place. She’s been on it for about a year now and though it hasn’t gone down it’s stopped growing. My vet was very concern because it’s right near her wind pipe and a few big blood vessels. We also sudated the first time but after that didn’t bother. I hope all goes well for your horse.
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Well it has been nearly two weeks and I am sure the Parotid looks slightly smaller. I have noticed in the last few days it doesn’t look as prominent from all angles, just appears flatter and not as noticeable. Could this be as now she is getting fluffy? I could be wrong, but my eyes tell me it indeed looks smaller. I really do hope so! I guess measuring will tell me if my eyes are correct! Vaccine again this Tuesday (3 days from now). Then will measure week after.
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Very educational thread and I appreciate everyone sharing
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Oh what great news!!!
one thing I forgot to mention above-after they shave the site, they clean it thoroughly before the injection.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!
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Great thanks for your input! I will ensure the vet follows a strict procedure as it sounds critical for outcome! I had Holly clipped yesterday so we are all set! A friend had a look at Holly’s Parotid yesterday and without me saying, she said that it definately looks much smaller. They had been my thoughts, so was good to have another set of eyes look. I will measure in another week as it’s hard to use calipers to define if the margins have slightly reduced then the reading could still be in the margin of error. So leaving the caliper measurement another week will give a much clearer idea.
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I am so glad I stumbled across this thread. I have a 14 year old Perch/TB with very aggressive melanoma that luckily we’ve caught very early. Struggling my way through finding a vet to help me with Oncept, my horse is in SC.
In the states, as I’m sure around the world at the moment, it’s incredibly difficult to get your hands on the vaccine and is extremely expensive when you to. For those of you interested, I’m keeping track of my personal journey on my blog - www.goosebackriding.blogspot.com (not looking for followers, just if anyone wants to follow the journey there is so little information on Oncept and I plan to document all details down to cost).
Right now I’m trying to work with a local vet, but may end up taking him to Tryon. What I know is as follows:
Loading dose of 4 vaccines, 2 weeks apart. I’ve been quoted $2,600 for the loading doses before farm calls or clinic fees. Waiting for local vet’s quote, and crossing my fingers it’s slightly less but not holding my breath. I was quoted between $500-800 per booster after the first 6 months.
If the loading doses work, a booster every 6 months for three years, then an annual booster for rest of life.
There is roughly an 80% success rate - 60% saw halted growth, 20% saw reduced size and number, 20% nothing.
There is a special transdermal device, it is not a “normal” needle and syringe injection. Looks like someone posted good insight here further up in this thread.
Vaccine can be sourced through an equine oncologist or small animal internist. It is not yet labeled/approved in horses though there have been many studies done and as shown above has been fairly successful.
OP, good luck! So glad to read that you’re seeing some success. I’m hoping for the same, trying to organize his first round of loading doses for the next few weeks. As for side-effects, at this point you’ll know better than I but I’ve not seen or heard of anything worse than mild discomfort and swelling at the injection site.
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See post #3 above for a link to my 4+ year experience with Oncept. Cannot recommend enough - a lifesaver for my horse.
Good luck!
That’s great you have caught your horse tumour early. I think an 80% success is actually very promising and definately halting an aggressive tumour is a win! Where are your horses tumours located? I am also posting here to share my experience as I had a very stressful time trying to obtain information on Oncept. The research papers are well worth reading. They certainly confirmed to me it is well worth proceeding. Halting a tumour is a win but sure would be nice to see it regress or disappear completely! I hope too by sharing my journey it will help others. There sure is limited information online and it’s very stressful as an owner.
I wish you all the best on this terrible journey. If you ever need to commiserate with someone going through the same, feel free to PM me and I can give you my email. It’s so hard to go through this with limited information and resources - it continues to amaze me that there is so little known about a vaccine that could save so many horses’ lives, and keep countless more from suffering.
My horse’s tumors are located on his penis and under his tail. We removed one mass back in December because it was so large, we were worried it would quickly become an issue and disallow him from retracting his penis into his sheath. The ones under his tail have popped up within the last four months and they’re spreading and growing more rapidly than we had hoped. My whole ordeal has been chronicled on my blog - feel free to read the whole mess. So glad you’re sharing your story too, I feel it’s so important to be a resource for someone else if possible!
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Wish I had found your story a few months back, this has been such a nightmare in finding information on Oncept, and is an ongoing nightmare trying to find a vet willing to work with me and administer it. Luckily I’ve recently come across a few people who have shared their Oncept story with me, but four years is by far the longest I’ve heard of. Your story gives me so much hope, thank you so much for sharing! So glad this has worked for you and your horse and I hope I’ll be sharing my success story soon too.
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So sorry to hear about your horse. That is good they managed to remove the mass. I read Oncept was considered more benefical if the mass could be removed initally. So that is a really good start ! Yes i agree it’s a scary journey into the unknown and information is very limited. Please feel free to also PM me. I am new to this, not sure how it all works !
Second vaccination done yesterday. Holly was mildly sedated for it. It is over and done with very quickly and is literally like a flick of a rubber band. Although you don’t want the horse flinching or jumping away so mild sedation gives you peace of mind! I spoke with the vet and he said other horses that he had administered Oncept to saw a halt in tumour growth. One of the horses he has been treating has now had Oncept for two years and although no reduction seen, the tumours however have not got any bigger.
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It all sounds good - keep us posted!
I don’t have a horse with this issue but I am finding this very interesting and educational. Please continue updating.
Yes, thank you for posting all this, and please keep reporting. I am about to get my first grey.
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Yes, thank you for posting all this, and please keep reporting. I am about to get my first grey.
