About Cat Skin Cancer
Cats get many of the same illnesses that humans do, including skin cancer. Unfortunately, skin cancer tends to be a far more deadly disease in cats than it is in humans. This could be due to cat owners not detecting early signs of skin cancer in cats. The sooner the cancer is treated, the more hope there is for the cat to recover.
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Identification
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Skin cancer in cats can look different from cat to cat. You will know something is wrong when the cat is chewing or scratching the same area over and over again until it is bald, red, scaly or even bleeding. Only by getting a blood test and a biopsy at your vet's office can cat cancer be properly diagnosed. Strange lumps on the cat's body, even if fully furred, need to be examined by the vet. The ears are the most common body part hit.
Misconceptions
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Your cat might be getting bald, red or scaly patches on the skin due to reasons other than skin cancer. These reasons can be an infection from a wound, an allergy to flea bites or other allergies. But all of these conditions require the attention of a vet. They will not go away by themselves.
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Size
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Skin cancer in cats always starts out very small and then keeps on growing. The danger is in the cancer spreading to other parts of the cat's body, such as the internal organs.
Theories/Speculation
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Although we don't know all of the reasons why skin cancer develops in cats, it does seem as if too much sunlight is a culprit. This theory is because white cats and the white areas on cats get skin cancer the most often. The cancer doesn't begin to develop until the cat is about 6 years old or older.
Types
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Skin cancers in cats can be benign or malignant, just like in people. Basal cell carcinomas are usually benign but need to be removed or they will spread. Other types of skin at skin cancers include the more malignant mast cell carcinoma, squamous skin cell carcinoma and uveal carcinoma, which only affects the skin around the eyes. Melanomas look like moles but then become larger and more malignant.
Warning
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Do not put sunscreen on a cat. They will just lick it off.
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Resources
- Photo Credit White cats get skin cancer the most. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Comments
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Ruby was a black cat, & her skin cancer had been flat, larger than a quarter & was covered by her coat. Neither the vet nor myself felt it until it was too late. In the end it was extremely painful for her....& me.
