I think this goes here since it is an aging factor in all breeds...

Forest has developed an iris melanoma in his eye. When the vet told us, she didnt really explain what it was, just that treatment would include an expensive surgery and b/c of his chances of living through it were small.

I did some reading up on it last night, after we noticed it had gotten bigger, and turns out it is basically a tumor on his eye. Although, it does not seem to be affecting his vision, I now know the extent of how uncomfy he must be feeling

here is a pic:

his is darker and slightly bigger.

Untreated it could lead to cancer and prolly kidney failure or something...

Anybody else have come across this with their older cats? Stories? If anybody knows, what is the average life expectancy after discovering this?

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hiya, i haven't had experience of it either.

would it be worth removing the eye? i've known cats over the years with only one eye due to accidents etc. & they get by really well.

i'm not sure if this will work for forest, given his age & the risk of anasthetic but i hope something can be done.

Oh, that's terrible! You say that if untreated, it could lead to cancer, but I thought that melanoma was a form of cancer? Did the vet say if it had spread to other organs? I don't want to scare you, but my knowledge of melanoma is that it is fast spreading and deadly. I'm just concerned that you say your vet didn't say much. I would go back and try to get as much information as I could, so you could decide what the best thing for you and Forest would be.
The only story that I have comes from my in-laws golden retriever that had a melanoma spot on his face that was removed, but the cancer had already spread and he passed away within 6 months. I don't know if you are looking to treat or just make Forest as comfortable as possible for as long as you can, but like I said, I would try to get more information from your vet/a second vet. Please keep us updated.

In humans it can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Usually it results from exposure to the sun. Humans can wear UV blocking sunglasses to help prevent this, but animals can't. You might want to inform your breeder. Although it may be that none of Forest's relatives have had melanoma, he/she may still want to know. Do you have any idea how long the tumor has been growing? I think that life expectancy just depends on if/when other organ become affected by the cancer.

My advise to get more information from the vet was because my in laws were led to believe that they had cut off the tumor and stopped the cancer when in actuality, the cancer had already begun to spread to other organs. We the dog was living its last days, they thought it had a cold/virus and were unprepared for its death (not like one can ever truly be prepared, but they wished they had known beforehand).

I also found this online "People with melanoma may not feel like eating especially if they are uncomfortable or tired. Foods may taste different than they did previously. Poor appetite, nausea, or vomiting are all side-effects of melanoma. Good nutrition however often helps people with cancer feel better and have more energy." This information is for people, but it probably wouldn't hurt to spoil him with good food to help keep him happy. I'm thinking of you and hoping that the cancer doesn't spread to other organs and Forest continues to live a happy life.

informing his breeder is not really an option Forest is my bf's cat, he's had him since a kitten. He does not even know where he came from

i think he's had the tumor for about 4-5 months i think.

thanks for the advice, i will try to find out as much info as i can to see how much discomfort he really is in.

we currently feed Iam's Indoor Weight and Hairball control. What food is the good stuff?

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