Cancer in animals, in particular a mammary tumor in cats, is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. The named disease kills the lives of four-legged pets who are unable to withstand the disease. There are different treatment methods, but none of them gives a 100% result.
Tumors
Diseases associated with neoplasms are a real disaster in the modern world. Every year thousands of people and animals die from them. Medicine in this area does not stand still, and recently the treatment of cancer has become increasingly successful.
However, a medicine has not yet been received that would help absolutely everyone. In veterinary medicine, the situation is no better, especially for the treatment of cats. The main way to stop the growth of tumors is chemotherapy, but there is no guarantee that this goal will be achieved. A mammary tumor in cats will bring a lot of trouble to both the animal itself and the owner.
Mammary gland
The mammary glands in animals are designed to feed newborn kittens. It is located in pairs on the chest and stomach of a cat, their total number is normally eight. Their work begins before childbirth (swelling) and during false pregnancy (hormonal processes).
Diseases of the mammary glands are recorded in adult cats, regardless of whether they gave birth or not. Most often the following ailments are found: mastitis, cancer and mastopathy. In some cases, veterinarians remove the affected glands.
It is difficult for a non-professional to distinguish them, especially in the early stages. With mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland is observed. It occurs in cats with an excess of milk (early weaning of kittens) or a false pregnancy. Iron increases in size, redness and temperature increase are observed. From the nipple there may be discharge of different colors and composition.
Mastopathy is a swelling of the mammary glands, which can be normal and pathological. In the latter case, a gray liquid accumulates inside, and the skin turns blue.
In order not to confuse these diseases, look at what a cat’s mammary tumor looks like (see photo in the article).
Types of neoplasms
Over 85 out of 100 malignancies are malignant. The latter have a noticeable tendency to growth and the appearance of metastases in the shortest possible time. And it all starts, as a rule, with a small seal, just like a person.
What types of mammary tumor in cats? It can be malignant and benign. In the latter case, there is no cause for concern, because such neoplasms are characterized by slow growth, clear localization and lack of desire for necrotic processes.
Cancerous tumors often occur in several places at the same time. Interestingly, removal of the ovaries in a kitten under the age of 6 months reduces the likelihood of neoplasms to almost zero and completely eliminates the malignant type. But the owners of animals kept for breeding, this way does not suit. In addition, hormonal preparations will be necessary in the future cat to avoid metabolic problems.
Stages of development of breast tumors
Any cancerous tumor goes through several stages of its growth:
- The neoplasm has a size of less than 10 mm, metastases are not detected.
- The tumor reaches 30 mm, but there is no metastasis.
- The tumor is over 50 mm in diameter, with the appearance of ulcers, and metastases are diagnosed in the lymph nodes.
- Metastases are found in the lungs, liver and other organs and tissues.
Causes of neoplasms
Why does a mammary tumor appear in cats? Veterinarians and other specialists have no consensus on this. However, there are a large number of versions.
For example, life in large cities with a high level of environmental pollution adversely affects the health of the animal. The same factors can be attributed to the uniformity of the diet, poor quality food, and sometimes completely spoiled. One cannot ignore the predisposition to pathology at the genetic level. By the way, therefore, it is recommended that new owners be more thoroughly interested in the pedigree of the pet before buying it.
Cancer symptoms
Typically, a mammary tumor in cats has quite simple symptoms. These include:
- the appearance of small seals in the area of ​​the nipples;
- inflammatory processes developing over time at this site;
- necrosis of the tissues around the nipples.
Pets actively lick the affected area with their rough tongue, which only worsens the situation, because it provokes the appearance of ulcers. The mammary glands exude a nasty smell of rotting tissue. As a result, the animal feels worse every day: strength and weight are lost, and existing chronic diseases go into the acute phase.
Diagnosis of the disease
To find out a malignant or benign tumor of a mammary gland in a cat can be done by biopsy. It should be carried out very carefully to exclude mechanical damage. In addition, during the formation of serious gaps, metastases may appear - precursors of the imminent death of the animal.
Timely diagnosis allows you to determine the onset of the disease and immediately start chemotherapy to save the pet. As a rule, a biopsy of lymph nodes located close to the site of the lesion is carried out, because it is in them that metastases of neoplasms settle. Ultrasound and x-ray can determine their presence in the lungs and other organs of the abdominal cavity.
A mammary tumor in cats requires blood tests: general and biochemical. They are necessary to determine the severity of the disease and the most appropriate type of chemotherapy for a particular pet.
Treatment
If a cat has a breast tumor, treatment should be started immediately. In most cases, surgery can save a pet, but its feasibility is in question. An old animal that has lost a lot of strength may simply not survive this. In this case, it is worth restricting to conservative treatment. Regularly appear drugs that cope better with neoplasms. This gives hope for a favorable outcome of the fight against the disease.
However, if possible, it is worth giving preference to surgical intervention, because it allows you to remove the entire affected area with metastases (the latter is not always). This method is indispensable in the case when peripheral lymph nodes are affected . If they are not cut, then the cancer will soon spread throughout the body.
Removal of a breast tumor in a cat is carried out together with the entire organ, since only occasionally it is possible to localize its location (with benign neoplasm).
The situation is complicated when a bilateral mastectomy is necessary, since cats are extremely difficult to tolerate. Chemotherapy sessions are not canceled in order to completely stop the development of the neoplasm. Every day it is required to show the pet to the veterinarian to monitor the general condition of the body and prevent its rapid deterioration.
If it was decided to conduct treatment conservatively, then daily visits to the doctor become mandatory. The cat will be regularly tested (almost every day) to monitor the effects of toxic and dangerous substances used in chemotherapy on the body of a four-legged pet.
Under no circumstances should you self-medicate. Applying heat (such as heated salt) only worsens the situation. The neoplasm from this begins to develop more intensively, and malignant will give metastases. The presence of inflammatory processes and necrosis is also a contraindication for the use of thermal compresses.
In the most difficult situations, the animal is left in a veterinary clinic under the supervision of specialists. The cat is injected with anesthetics and other important substances.
Care after surgery
One of the important factors that directly affects the outcome of the treatment is the organization of the conditions for the sick animal. If a cat has a breast tumor, the operation will help get rid of it. But after surgery, the pet needs complete rest and feeding only what the veterinarian permits.
Ask him what preparation to process the postoperative suture. Strictly adhere to the doctor's recommendations about the time and dosage of medication. A special blanket is put on the cat, which will drag and protect the seam. In case of opening a wound, immediately contact your veterinarian.
Each week, a specialist will conduct examinations and take tests to monitor the condition of the animal’s body. So he will be able to timely diagnose a relapse (if it happens). Even if the cat’s breast tumor has been removed, no one can tell how long the animal will live.
Prevention
As already mentioned, sterilizing a cat before it reaches 6 months of age greatly reduces the likelihood of developing cancer. After excision of the neoplasm, one cannot refuse to remove the ovaries. This will eliminate relapse and extend the days of your pet's life.
Always pay attention to any swelling and seals under the skin that may be noticed when caring for the animal. Ignoring them can lead to very serious consequences. A festering and bursting tumor should not be touched and poked around in it, since these actions contribute to the appearance of metastases. One can’t just watch a neoplasm, hoping that “everything will heal itself”, because during this time it will grow so much that there will no longer be any reason for surgery. It remains only to observe how the pet will rot alive.
The sooner the disease is found, and the sooner the veterinarian performs the operation, the higher the chance of a complete cure.
Owner of animals that do not breed them is recommended to remove the ovaries in cats. But you need to decide on this as soon as possible, then the risk of cancer will decrease to almost zero.