Some pony 'cancer' questions?

[nearlyheadlessnayy]

So,
I know what it looks like, but I have a couple of questions,
1. Is it contagious? I've seen some people say it is and some isn't, what's your opinions?
and 2. If a pony has cancer.. What actually happens to it? Does it spread all over the body? But then again what happens, in the most extreme cases, does the pony itself rot away or something?


Thanks

[reanna-mator]

Whether or not pony cancer is contagious remains under debate. My opinion is that it probably doesn't; the illusion of it spreading is probably more the idea of ponies all being stored in conditions where "cancer" can form, and noticing one first may create the illusion of it spreading from one pony to others.

I haven't seen any really extreme examples of cancer. I have a couple afflicted girls (and no, I don't quarantine them), and none of them are very shocking. I think it can get very bad, though.

It's also, practically speaking, impossible to tell if the cancer has been neutralized or not. If cancer is bacteria, then it could be dead and pose no risk of spreading over the pony any further than it has. I am not aware of the usual time frame cancer spreads over a pony in...

All of my ponies with cancer have received a boiling treatment, just to be sure.

[mlpfan]

Whether or not pony cancer is contagious remains under debate. My opinion is that it probably doesn't; the illusion of it spreading is probably more the idea of ponies all being stored in conditions where "cancer" can form, and noticing one first may create the illusion of it spreading from one pony to others.

I haven't seen any really extreme examples of cancer. I have a couple afflicted girls (and no, I don't quarantine them), and none of them are very shocking. I think it can get very bad, though.

It's also, practically speaking, impossible to tell if the cancer has been neutralized or not. If cancer is bacteria, then it could be dead and pose no risk of spreading over the pony any further than it has. I am not aware of the usual time frame cancer spreads over a pony in...

All of my ponies with cancer have received a boiling treatment, just to be sure.

I thought pony cancer was caused by the plastic degrading ? I wish i had a cancer pony to test on:) i love science and this kinda thing is very interesting to me. i have even heard it is caused by a nematode.

[Eluluu]

yeah for the longest time i thought it was just the plastic ageing poorly, but recently ive come to suspect temperature/humidity/bacteria. noones really sure if it can spread or not but i agree that its prolly just the environment encourageing it giving the illusion of a patient X. i personally dont take risks and have a strict no cancer policy with my babies. if you want one to fiddle with i have a couple infected ones in my baitbin.

[mlpfan]

yeah for the longest time i thought it was just the plastic ageing poorly, but recently ive come to suspect temperature/humidity/bacteria. noones really sure if it can spread or not but i agree that its prolly just the environment encourageing it giving the illusion of a patient X. i personally dont take risks and have a strict no cancer policy with my babies. if you want one to fiddle with i have a couple infected ones in my baitbin.

i would love one or two. pm me:)

[moonflower]

Whether or not pony cancer is contagious remains under debate. My opinion is that it probably doesn't; the illusion of it spreading is probably more the idea of ponies all being stored in conditions where "cancer" can form, and noticing one first may create the illusion of it spreading from one pony to others.

I haven't seen any really extreme examples of cancer. I have a couple afflicted girls (and no, I don't quarantine them), and none of them are very shocking. I think it can get very bad, though.

It's also, practically speaking, impossible to tell if the cancer has been neutralized or not. If cancer is bacteria, then it could be dead and pose no risk of spreading over the pony any further than it has. I am not aware of the usual time frame cancer spreads over a pony in...

All of my ponies with cancer have received a boiling treatment, just to be sure.

I thought pony cancer was caused by the plastic degrading ? I wish i had a cancer pony to test on:) i love science and this kinda thing is very interesting to me. i have even heard it is caused by a nematode.

I agree with everything just said. No one actually knows for sure what pony cancer is. Personally I believe it to be the plastic degrading and I don't believe it can spread to other ponies. I've seen some pretty bad cases but nothing extreme.

[Elisto]

Yes, we do know what cancer is, it's a bacteria, or at least something alive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-UEFOq08AU

I kind of wish the Arena would keep this stickied.

[hathorcat]

Yes, we do know what cancer is, it's a bacteria, or at least something alive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-UEFOq08AU

I kind of wish the Arena would keep this stickied.

I love this research but I think we need to remember that more needs to be done to prove that the bacteria [which is dead anyway] is what has actually caused the cancer as this is only one pony and also the bacteria only shows on the age mark with the dark central spot not on other cancer marks...it seems most likely that either the bacteria cause the initial damage and the plastic degrades quicker as a result or that the plastic is slightly degraded and bacteria get in and cause the damage to spread further. Either way, no matter what starts the issue, cancer is a breakdown in plastic whether this be because of bacteria or simply time/storage conditions.

[Elisto]

I thought BlackCurtains has since looked at more of these spots and found the same thing? Also, since the bacteria is always at the center of the spot, it seems likely that it is causing the noticeable brown spot. I agree, there's still more we need to know about it, but it seems very unlikely that it's just a coincidence that the bacteria is there. I'd imagine that the plastic can break down in other ways too, hence the spots without the darker dot in the middle, but it still seems like a good idea to try boiling or otherwise killing whatever is in there, even if that's only one portion of the problem. Although I should point out I've never done this because I'm lazy, but if other people are concerned, that seems like a fairly easy and low-risk precaution.

[mlpfan]

I must find the cause! (grabs lab coat)

[babystarz]

as this is only one pony and also the bacteria only shows on the age mark with the dark central spot not on other cancer marks.

Actually I only consider the spots with a dark center to be pony cancer. The ones without a dark center I just consider to be age spots. I guess because the cause for degradation appears to be different. In one case it's an organism, in the other it's age. I agree that more research should be done to confirm this, but so far I'm going with that theory

[mlp4me]

Well, a good cleaning with some antibacterial soap is always in order if you notice your pony as brown spots!
[One must use caution as some ponies really shouldn't be boiled (TE's, chartreuse hair, so softs, etc...) and if you boil always separate the body from the head or they may cave in.]

[hathorcat]

as this is only one pony and also the bacteria only shows on the age mark with the dark central spot not on other cancer marks.

Actually I only consider the spots with a dark center to be pony cancer. The ones without a dark center I just consider to be age spots. I guess because the cause for degradation appears to be different. In one case it's an organism, in the other it's age. I agree that more research should be done to confirm this, but so far I'm going with that theory

See thats interesting!...I have pretty much always grouped cancer and age spots under the same thing as they  have such a similar degradation pattern

Maybe its that the marks without the central mark are simple "breakdown" and the marks with the central dot are the same kind of "breakdown" but the breakdown on them was simply started by or has since been invaded by bacteria....?

I thought BlackCurtains has since looked at more of these spots and found the same thing? Also, since the bacteria is always at the center of the spot, it seems likely that it is causing the noticeable brown spot. I agree, there's still more we need to know about it, but it seems very unlikely that it's just a coincidence that the bacteria is there. I'd imagine that the plastic can break down in other ways too, hence the spots without the darker dot in the middle, but it still seems like a good idea to try boiling or otherwise killing whatever is in there, even if that's only one portion of the problem. Although I should point out I've never done this because I'm lazy, but if other people are concerned, that seems like a fairly easy and low-risk precaution.

I honestly have only ever seen one example of the research - the images and references are always of the same case - thats always why I go on the "a little more info" before I understand basis. If there are more than hopefully that would confirm it as certainly as science can....I know the bacteria which was found was dead but I am like you out of paranoia those ponies get a thorough clean just in case!

[babystarz]

as this is only one pony and also the bacteria only shows on the age mark with the dark central spot not on other cancer marks.

Actually I only consider the spots with a dark center to be pony cancer. The ones without a dark center I just consider to be age spots. I guess because the cause for degradation appears to be different. In one case it's an organism, in the other it's age. I agree that more research should be done to confirm this, but so far I'm going with that theory

See thats interesting!...I have pretty much always grouped cancer and age spots under the same thing as they  have such a similar degradation pattern

Maybe its that the marks without the central mark are simple "breakdown" and the marks with the central dot are the same kind of "breakdown" but the breakdown on them was simply started by or has since been invaded by bacteria....?

Yep, that's what I'm thinking Maybe it seems like a picky distinction, but I think it's an important one nonetheless, especially if we find ways to prevent one or both of these things in the future. If they have different causes (and it seems they do, or at least differential outcomes), then presumably they require different things to prevent them.

[TwistedWindSox]

Wow, I feel like I know so much more about cancer... 
I know this wasn't my thread, but this information is really helpful, thanks!