Cancer in cats is the cause of death in half the cases of cat deaths after 10 years. Malignant tumor in animals is capable of producing metastases that quickly infect all healthy cells of the body. To detect cancer in cats can be done in advance, in this case there is a probability of recovery of the animal and increase its life span.
Symptoms of cancer in a cat
If you notice the following symptoms in the cat, it is worth the alarm:
- tumors in the mouth, in the nasal cavity may be malignant. The appearance of a tumor is signaled by an unpleasant odor from the mouth of the animal, bleeding gums, shortness of breath, difficulty with swallowing;
- inflamed lymph nodes may be a sign of lymphoma;
- pigment spots on the skin, non-healing ulcers can be a sign of skin cancer in cats;
- loss of weight, appetite, thirst;
- bleeding (of any organ);
- decreased activity, apathy;
- education in the auricles;
- education in the area of mammary glands.
Treatment
Treatment of cancer in cats will depend on the type of cancer, its degree, the general condition of the animal. Can be appointed chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery. It is necessary to understand that the drugs used in the treatment of cancer are very active, and the animal will feel very bad after each procedure, but this does not mean that the treatment is harmful. The improvement will not be noticeable at once. A cat can tear, it can most of the time lie and sleep, can restlessly meow. The behavior of the animal after the procedure should be discussed with a doctor who will explain whether this is normal and whether it is worth interrupting the treatment.
The doctor will also advise the correct nutrition of the cat in case of cancer. Features of nutrition will depend on what type of cancer the cat has. Many cats with liver cancer refuse to eat at all. In this case, it is advised to feed the cat with a syringe (without a needle, of course), with soft mashed food. You can not let the cat lose weight. The doctor can prescribe painkillers and substances for easier digestion of food, can prescribe injections or even droppers.
Cancer with metastases can be very painfully experienced by a cat, in which case the oncologist can advise you to resort to euthanasia (humane euthanasia).