What should you know about canine malignant melanoma?

Melanoma may appear as a new dark spot or as a change within an existing mole. Warning changes include uneven colour, an irregular outline, growth, bleeding, or a lesion that looks different from the rest of your marks. These signs do not establish the diagnosis; a dermatologist needs to examine the skin and may remove tissue for confirmation.

Staging checks whether melanoma is confined to the skin or has involved nearby lymph nodes or other sites. The result helps the team discuss surgery, further treatment, and follow-up.

Book a prompt dermatology review for a changing, bleeding, itchy, or newly appearing pigmented lesion. Avoid attempting to shave it off. Record its changes with dated photographs and tell the clinician about previous skin cancers, immune conditions, and medicines.

Treatment may involve surgical excision, skin cancer surgery, or tumour removal surgery. Selected patients may be offered sentinel lymph node biopsy to assess nearby drainage nodes. Advanced disease may lead to a discussion of immunotherapy.

Seek prompt care for a lesion that changes quickly, repeatedly bleeds, forms an ulcer, or develops persistent pain. New unexplained lumps near the lesion should also be reported. Severe symptoms such as new weakness, confusion, seizures, or a severe headache require urgent medical attention.

Ask how the diagnosis will be confirmed, what stage has been found, whether lymph-node assessment is appropriate, which treatment fits the result, how margins will be checked, and how follow-up will be organised after treatment.