Amelanotic Melanoma

[typix]

Does anyone have experience with this type of cancer? Our 9-month-old male, Paulie, presented with a mass on his gum and some infected teeth. The vet removed the bad teeth but kept the bone plate closed to slow down the progression of the cancer. He tells me it's very aggressive and will metastasize. The outlook is not good, but for now, he is pain-free, eating, playing, and cuddling. We will love him so much and spoil him as long we possibly can before he tells us when it's his time.

Just curious if anyone has experience this or knows where I can look for more information? A lot of scholarly articles on Google, but thought I might reach out to see if anyone else is familiar. Thanks in advance.

 

[susanm9006]

I have never heard of it but just wanted to say how sorry I am. As cats age you expect they will have serious health issues but it is so wrong for such a young guy to get so sick. You both are in my thoughts.

 

[fionasmom]

I do but it was not amelanotic which I assume, even in cats and dogs, means the lighter pigmented form. My dog had a black "bump" which appeared on his leg a few years ago which was standard melanoma. His leg was amputated and he was given immunotherapy and is still here having outlived his prognosis. When a "vaccine" is referred to for melanoma, it does not mean the same as the COVID vaccine for which we are all waiting, but is given after the disease is dxed, not as a preventative.

I am very sorry that you are facing this and that it is in the jaw and mouth area. Amputating a leg is exponentially easier and probably more humane than removing part of an animal's face which is a course that some take.

Without being obtuse, you did have a biopsy done which absolutely confirms this? The vet did not decide this based on his experience alone? He did tell you that this arises from the skin cells themselves and not from anything that was preventable?

Melanoma is a very deadly cancer and if you have any thought to treatment you will need a specialist such as an oncologist. If you can get to a university teaching hospital or a good referral clinic you could make an appointment for an assessment of Paulie and recommendations as to what they would do or not do.

If you chose not to treat it, which I absolutely get, aside from keeping him happy and comfortable do the best you can to pamper him and watch for any signs that he is in discomfort.

Malignant Melanoma in Dogs and Cats - Veterinary Partner - VIN

There are no really upbeat articles about melanoma no matter how you look at it, but this one does give a good overview. I am very sorry about this.