posted by Tess on Jun 11
The words, sarcoma, neoplasia or neoplasm and tumor are all used for different types of cancer. Cancer is a dreaded disease, which more often than not, is fatal for the infected. Feline cancer can be as dangerous as cancer in dogs and therefore symptoms of the same need to be monitored regularly.
Monitoring cancer symptoms is not easy since there are various kinds of cancer that can afflict a cat. Constant observation is required to ensure that none of the symptoms that are characteristic of any kind of cancer go unnoticed. Cancer can occur in almost any organ of the body. The most common cancers that have been found to afflict cats are cancerous tumors (solid mass of abnormal cells) and leukemia (blood cancer).
Basal cell tumors can be malignant or benign and start from the epithelial (membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body) layer of the skin. It requires invasive surgery for removal of the tumor and in most cases it usually cures the cat. Basal cell tumors are most common in Siamese cats.
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posted by Tess on Jun 10
Cancer is an abnormal growth of malignant cells and can virtually affect any part of the body. The abnormal growth can take various forms like tumors. Tumors are solid masses of cancerous cells that can spread to other parts of the body. Metastasis (spreading) is one of the main reasons that results in disorders in other organs.
Symptoms of cancer in cats vary according to the type of cancer that the animal is suffering from. However, each type of feline cancer has a certain set of symptoms that are easy to observe. These are:
* Oral Cancer - Bleeding from the mouth, drooling and difficulty in eating or swallowing.
* Lung cancer - Difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing and panting.
* Cancer in the digestive tract - Projectile vomiting, diarrhea, cessation of eating and mucous or blood in feces.
* Bone cancer of the limbs - Limp in gait or stiffness of legs.
* Skin cancer - Wounds that appear minor but do not heal over time. A protracted nasal discharge is indicative of cancer in the nasal passage. Some skin cancer do not manifest as lumps but as bleeding or scabs.
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posted by Tess on Jun 7
While moving your hand over your dog’s coat you might occasionally feel a bump under the skin. Chances are that if you have been able to locate one, a veterinarian will be able to find a few more since he is skilled and trained. Dog skin problems like bumps in the skin is as common an occurrence as feline acne and feline hair loss. Even though these conditions are common, they should not be treated carelessly. Such problems should not be considered as minor conditions of pet hair and coat disorders like canine and cat dandruff.
But spotting a bump on your dog need not be a cause of panic also. In most cases, bumps turn out to be harmless mass of fatty tissue. Such non-cancerous lumps like cysts, warts, infected hair follicles and swellings filled with blood can cause discomfort to the dog. But they are localized skin problems that have little impact on the overall health of the dog.
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posted by Tess on Jun 6
Outdoor cats, especially white cats or those with white non-pigmented areas carry a high risk of developing certain types of skin cancers. Typically these are the cancers that are linked with excessive exposure to sunlight.
The first few signs of such a condition are a discoloration of the skin, pinkish skin that looks as if it has scales and excessive loss of hair. On the first signs of such symptoms the cat should be protected from sunlight to restrict further development of the disease. If ignored this leads to further crusting of the skin and ultimately develops into a squamous cell cancer.
Squamous cell cancer is a malignant tumor that normally manifests on ear flaps, the visible cartilage of the external ear, nose and eyelids. Unlike other types of feline cancer squamous cell cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body. But when it does, it can affect the lymph nodes and lungs. The initial signs of this cancer appear in the form of a scab on the head or minor irritations that cause itching. If not checked the harmless looking lesions can worsen and cause more painful conditions like:
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posted by Tess on Jun 5
Cat and dog skin problems are a major source of discomfort to pet owners. They spoil the otherwise flawless coat of your pet and can also cause a fair amount of discomfort.
Many internal disorders that your cat may have can have symptoms like feline eczema. The veterinary medical term for feline eczema is military dermatitis. It is the skins reaction to infections, allergies and inflammation. Feline eczema is commonly known as ‘scabby cat disease’ or ‘blotch’ and is one of the common causes behind feline hair loss .
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common known cause of feline eczema. There are also other kinds of infections that infect the skin and lead to feline eczema. These are:
* Bacterial infection
* Fungal infection
* Yeast infection
* Parasitic infection
The allergies that can cause eczema in cats include:
* Hypersensitivity to flea bites
* Hypersensitivity to food items
* Atopy or contact allergies
Autoimmune disorders, hormonal disturbances, deficiency of fatty acids in diet and a fungus known as ringworm can also cause cat eczema.
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posted by Tess on Jun 4
Dog skin problems manifest in different ways as compared to cat skin problems. A typical description of a dog with skin problems would read as under:
* Itchy skin and eruptions.
* Inflammation in the ears and toes.
* Excessive licking.
* Intense itching near the anus and genitals.
Though these symptoms can appear anywhere the commonly affected areas are the lower back, nose and mouth. Ulcerative skin diseases known as lupus are the most dangerous autoimmune skin diseases that affect dogs, other pets and even humans.
Autoimmune related skin diseases are mostly caused by allergies. These allergies occur as a reaction in a dog due to certain food items, pollutants, chemicals, dust, pollen and other substances that are normally harmless. The affected organ responds to the allergen and the autoimmune reaction of the body causes certain symptoms. This reaction of the autoimmune system that is triggered to expel the foreign substance gives the condition the name - autoimmune disorders.
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posted by Tess on Jun 1
Timely and proper cleaning of your dog’s ears has many long term benefits. It helps in maintaining good overall health. If your dog is healthy, it impacts the general behavior and demeanor of your pet and he is likely to be more calm, amiable and friendly.
Dog ear grooming, therefore, goes a long way in your relationship with your dog. It is one aspect that cannot be ignored.
An unhealthy dog ear is responsible for more medical conditions than one can imagine. Chronic ear problems can occur due to various allergies or ear mites. An excess of thyroid hormones can make the condition worse than it already is. Using a wrong product to clean the dog ear mites can also lead to complications of the case.
Although less common in cats, ear mites present the same complications in cats as well.
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