If you’ve noticed that your purr baby has brown or black spots on the skin of their nose, gums, tongue, or eyes, the chances are good that nothing serious is going on. It could be lentigo, which may appear in a kitten as young as one year, but is more common in middle-aged and older cats. Considered to be a degenerative skin disorder, these feline “freckles” are not cancerous and they don’t change into cancers as moles sometimes do. But they need to be checked out by your veterinarian to rule out other, possibly serious conditions.

Lentigo spots, also known as lentigines, are inherited and most often appear in ginger cats that have orange, red, yellow, or flame point hair. Sometimes the hyperpigmentation appears in the cat’s hair as well.

Lentigo doesn’t produce generalized symptoms in the cat beyond the skin discoloration. The spots are flat and while they don’t become cancerous, they can occasionally camouflage skin cancers such as melanoma or infections. These spots also don't have any inflammation in the skin around them, or cause a cat any discomfort. They also do not drain or bleed, acting just like most freckles on humans. 

The mild, variable signs of lentigo include:

While there is no known cause of lentigo in cats, it is clear that it isn’t the result of excessive sun exposure like human freckles can be. However, it’s known that gene codes in ginger cats and their offspring are unstable, and genetic disruption may cause increased melanin production. Melanin is responsible for skin and hair coloring through the action of melanocyte cells within the melanin. 

Lentigo is most often diagnosed by a visual scan, but it’s very likely your vet will order clinical testing to confirm that the spots aren’t being caused by something else, like a fungal infection or cancer. To accomplish this, the vet may biopsy any brown or black spot that appears to be raised or a telltale purple-black color. 

Skin scrapings and lab tests may be done if the vet suspects an infection. Clinical signs that point to other conditions include inflammation around a spot, along with other symptoms of irritation such as bumps on the skin and frequent scratching. 

Other possible causes of dark spots that the veterinarian will rule out are fleas and flea dirt, feline acne that begins with black dots on the cat’s skin that progress to red, inflamed pustules that can ooze or burst, or melanoma, a dark, cancerous lesion on the skin or mucous membrane that is the result of pigment cells growing out of control. Diagnosis will require a biopsy.

Once your vet has ruled out other causes and determined that your cat just has lentigo, they will discuss the condition with you. 

If your vet determines that your cat’s spots are caused by lentigo, no treatment is necessary. If the vet finds that the spots are masking a more serious skin change, that condition will be treated as needed, but this is rare.

Because lentigo does not cause pain or disability, and no surgery or medications are needed to treat it, specific future management of the condition is unlikely to be necessary. 

The vet will have documented the diagnosis in the kitty’s record and will be aware of it. A quick visual exam will undoubtedly be done to detect any changes such as the benign patches formed by the spots’ normal expansion. 

Lentigo-focused follow-up appointments are not necessary, but it’s important to continue with regular, periodic visits to assess your cat’s general health and well-being and note any skin changes.

Skin conditions can be expensive to treat. If you suspect your cat is at risk of lentigo or other skin conditions, start searching for pet insurance today to find the “pawfect” plan for your pet in just a few clicks!

The sole cost of examining the kitty to confirm the lentigo diagnosis will be the cost of an examination. If other tests are needed, they may raise your costs.

Cost of diagnosing lentigo: $45 - $55.