Feline melanoma can occur in many areas of the body, however in this post we’ll discuss melanoma of the eye. Melanoma is the 
commonest primary tumor of the eye in cats.
They occur most commonly in elderly cats, over ten years old, and usually only affect one eye. They can present as a black mass in the eye, or there may just be a dark pigment or color change in the iris. Masses can grow and distort the eye and its structure, and can also lead to glaucoma and blindness. You’ll notice if your cat is losing vision because his pupil will be less responsive to light.
It can be difficult to confirm a diagnosis, because you can’t really biopsy inside the eye. Also, cats can have dark freckles or pigment in the eye, called iris nevus. In many cases, these freckles can lead to melanoma over time.
This particular type of feline melanoma is usually malignant, and over 50% spread to other parts of the body. They usually spread to the lymph nodes of the head and neck, to the lungs and the liver.
Before you have your cat’s eye treated, it’s a good idea to xray the chest and ultrasound the abdomen. This will give you a better idea of what outcome you can expect.
Treatment of feline melanoma in the eye is surgical. The whole eye is removed,including the conjunctiva and third eyelid. A silicon implant can be placed in the socket for cosmetic purposes. Surgery is best done sooner rather than later, to try and avoid the spread of the tumor to other parts of the body.
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