Melanoma vs Melanocytoma
 

Just wondering if anyone has had experience with this? I found a growth on one of my fosters today and the vet feels it is either melanoma or melanocytoma. She does tend to think it is the melanocytoma which is benign.

I feel so sad for Heidi as she has really been through so much. She was found roaming the streets of Houston with an injured rear leg. This was in July and since that time she has been through the wringer. After being seen by our vet, it was found that it was an old injury. She was unable to use the leg. We took her to our orthopedic surgeon who did some amazing surgery on her...basically reconstructed her knee. It required a plate and five pins. Then, not long after she was cleared from that surgery, she suddenly developed a problem using both hind legs. They felt it was a slipped disc and she was put on steroids. That did improve quickly. About a week after that we took her back to the surgeon, thinking that perhaps the fact that she was not using the leg as much as she should, that perhaps it had put her back out. They found that three of the pins in her knee had moved...one had migrated deep into the muscle. Probably the discomfort from that is why she was not using the leg as she should. She then underwent surgery to remove the pins. She had the sutures removed last week from that surgery and was seen by the physical therapist. She was to start underwater therapy tomorrow; but that is now postponed until after this growth is removed. :( Poor little angel has been through so much.

I am attaching pics. Please keep this little angel in your thoughts and prayers. I am SO hopeful this is benign. I hate seeing all of these things happening to her.

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Poor little love!!!!! Sending good thoughts and prayers her way!

Im sending all my prayers to her and hugs for a speedy recovery from all the surgery ! :getwellso

No experience here. I hope it turns out to be benign. Considering the location, I would think it is benign. What a cutie and what a lot she has been through!

Hugs and kisses for your baby to feel better soon.

Poor sweet little Heidi. :( When will the biopsy by back? Hopefully it will be benign but I would think that she would need a surgical removal with wide margins to remove the Melanocytoma is a precancerous growth.

Barney has a mole but it is more brown than this color black. I hope it is benign. Poor Heidi!!

When does she get her results back? So sorry Ms Heidi is going thru this. She is the cutest most well behaved little Yorkie. Loved holding her at the show. Let me know if I can do anything. I will be in Houston next week. Lissette

She is scheduled to have it removed next Thursday, November 18th! Then, it will be sent out for the biopsy.
It just makes me sick...she has been through so much. :(

So sorry about little Heidi, Hoping all goes well with her, she deserves the good life now:)

Poor little Heidi! She really has been through the wringer. Sending prayers and lots of hugs for her.

poor Heidi. I sure hope it turns out to be benign. Phoebi had 2 spots that look like that and now I'm wracking my brain to try and remember if she had them when she was at the Vet's for her last appointment. My groomer (also my friend) said they're moles and she sees a lot of them.

I think I'll wait and when my daughter comes home for Thanksgiving she'll also be coming off a 2 week rotation in dermatology. Hopefully she can tell me what I should have done.

I'll say a prayer for Heidi and looking forward to hearing good news about her. She sure is a cutie!

sending prayers and hugs to you & beautiful little heidi! hope everything works out and she gets all better soon! poor little baby!

My vet feels confident that it is benign; but I won't feel good about it until it is gone and biopsied and found to be benign. Things like this concern me. Probably a lot due to my having worked in Oncology/Hematology as a nurse. She did say that melanoma in dogs is not like it is in people. The ones in dogs that are a concern are in their mouths and on their feet.

I found the following links that have pictures and information:

Melanocytoma

Dogs Get Skin Cancer Too - CBS News

Another link:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/72234.htm&word=canine%2cmelanocytoma