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Cats/black freckles on cats gums

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Expert: - 1/9/2011


Question

Ruby,Oscar & Taz
Hi I have just noticed a grey/black raised freckle on the gum of my grey cat "Ruby". Not an easy thing to see as her mouth nose etc. is mostly grey. She was a stray so I don't know her makeup but her coat is blue-grey and very dense, her eyes are bright green and her face is round. (She has a very faint striping on her tail that I see only in bright lighting.) I'm concerned that she may have caught it from my orange kitty "Oscar" also a rescued stray. He has several freckles along his gum line and more appearing every so often. I do understand this is a common trait in orange tabbys, but want to know if this could be something more that I should be concerned about.  Neither one of them seem to be bothered by these spots and I don't see any evidence of them in my older tabby "Taz".

Answer
Hi Deb,

In orange cats, flat, black or brown spots are caused by a harmless condition called lentigo.  Freckles in humans are another form of lentigo.  Both forms of lentigo are equally harmless, and neither of them are contagious.  Oscar will probably continue to develop "freckles" for the rest of his life, but they aren't catchy to the other kitties, and unless they change in appearance (break open and ooze, for instance), they should not be a concern.

Cats of other colors can develop lentigos, but it's much less common, and when a spot is raised, it's a little disconcerting.  Oral melanomas are, unfortunately, a concern with cats, and early detection affords your best chance for treatment.  There are far less worrisome lesions, such as eosinophilic granulomas or raised ulcers caused by lymphocytic plasmacytic stomatitis.  These are relatively common oral diseases of the soft tissues of the mouth.  Steroids and/or antibiotics will usually help treat these.  Or perhaps your kitty simply has a mole on her gums.  But considering the serious nature of an oral melanoma or other oral cancer, I would recommend that you have the spot checked out, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

Jessica  

Jessica

Expertise

The areas in which I have gained the most experience are cat health and feral cat management/rescue. I provide supportive care to chronically ill cats, hospice care to terminally ill cats and also am involved in trap-neuter-return efforts. My specialities lie in taming feral cats and in the allopathic treatment of cats with illnesses or special needs. I also have owned Siamese, Himalayans, Abyssinians, Russian Blues, Savannahs, Bengals, Peterbalds, Don Sphynx and Oriental Shorthairs and am well-versed in cat breeds as well as cat behavior and nutrition.

Experience

I have 15 years of extensive experience with cats ranging from breeding to medical care. My daily routine consists of caring for cats with diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney failure, feline leukemia, feline AIDS as well as feral cats. I have experience with liver patients, heart patients, feline infectious peritonitis, cancer, recovery from amputation and trauma, congenital deformities and most every disease in between. I have assisted cats giving birth and hand-nursed kittens who were neglected by their mother from 2 days old through weaning.

Education/Credentials
15 years' hands-on experience

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