Symptoms and signs of cancer in pets and humans depend largely upon the organ or the tissue that has developed cancer cells. For example, the symptoms of liver cancer in dogs and cats are far removed from the symptoms of oral cancer. Cats with cancer of the digestive system will show signs of vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia while a lump in the peripheral skin indicates lymph cancer.

Some cancers are highly progressive and spread very fast. The first tool in your hands is to educate yourself and be aware of all the symptoms properly. Timely approach to treatment is the only way to prolong and make life comfortable for your cat.

Cats should be groomed regularly. Stroking and petting all over the body serves two purposes – it lets you know of any abnormal changes that might be occurring in your cat’s body and it helps in building an emotional bond between you and your cat.

Older cats should be taken to a specialist for annual check ups. There are ten signs that are commonly understood to be indicative of cancer, including feline cancer and on noticing them they should be brought to the notice of a veterinary oncologist without fail.

There are always some cancer cells in the body, which the body can effectively kill on its own if the immune system is strong. Despite this fact pets still develop cancers that need treatment. Cancer in dogs and cats may not be a very common condition but it can be as problematic and fatal as in humans.

Pets cannot speak about the discomfort that they are facing and therefore, it is upon the pet owners and veterinarians to use their observation and knowledge to establish prevalence of, say, symptoms of liver cancer in dogs and cats among other health conditions.

Feline cancer can occur in any part of the body. If cancer has been diagnosed in certain specific areas, radiation therapy is one of the treatment options that should be considered.

Radiation therapy involves the same X-Rays that are used for a normal X-Ray for clinical investigation. The difference is that the levels of the X-Rays that are used for the therapy are thousands of times more powerful.

Nobody knows exactly what causes cancer in cats and dogs but a number of risk factors have been identified including stress, pollution, colorings and preservatives and an inadequate diet.

These factors and others can damage your pet’s immune system and a compromised immune system damages the body’s natural ability to fight cancerous cells.

Finding out that your pet has cancer is devastating. But before you give way to grief, first get pro-active. You need to find out as much as possible about your pet’s condition so that you can provide him with optimum care.

Find out what type of treatments are available and consider which would be suitable for your pet’s condition. In addition to conventional treatments (which are often effective although extremely harsh) there are a number of alternative treatments which have proved extremely helpful in treating cancer in pets, including acupuncture, aromatherapy and homeopathy.

All may be used on their own, or in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments as supportive therapy. Many holistic vets are increasingly aware of the benefits that natural remedies and complementary therapies can offer in the total treatment program.

Cancer is a malignant, cellular growth (tumor). Benign tumors are harmless and only an abnormal increase in size of a specific tissue. Cancer can affect any organ in a cat’s body but cancer of the lymphatic tissue, skin and mammary glands are the three most common types of neoplasia (the pathological process that results in formation and growth of tumors) in cats.

Extensive research in human cancer diagnosis and treatment has changed the entire scene of cancer management. The good part is that the same protocols reflect in treating feline cancer and cancer in dogs and other pets. There has also been a concomitant awareness of the role played by nutrition and alternative therapies in developing resistance to cancer and recovery.

Treatment for tumors is basically a matter of removal, killing or curbing the process of multiplication of cancer cells. There are various treatment options that one can consider.

Medical treatment

It involves use of drugs that inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Some medicines also kill cancerous cells. In many cases cancer cells resemble normal cells and therefore are also killed in the process. Cancer cells can also develop resistance to drugs over time and lie dormant, only to surface again after treatment is over. Unless newer drugs that can differentiate normal and cancer cells are developed, drugs can only play a limited role in cancer treatment.

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:

Generally, cancer occurs in older animals. Cats are destined to live long and the price they pay for it shows in the increased incidence of feline cancer . Symptoms of cancer in cats and dogs do not present themselves in early stages. It requires a keen observation for an early detection and treatment. For example, the symptoms of liver cancer in dogs need to be evaluated after considering other conditions that throw up similar symptoms.

Cells normally multiply by division in a pattern. Initially there is a continuous increase in cells to achieve an optimal level of growth in cats. Once a particular level is achieved cell multiplication is automatically curbed and new cells are formed to replace dead cells. Certain unknown conditions cause cells to ‘rebel’ and multiply even when the body does not need them. Characteristically, an unrestricted multiplication of cells is known as cancer. Normally a tumor or growth is formed in and around the affected organ or area, which may be localized or invasive and spread to distant organs as well. A tumor may be benign (harmless) or malignant (dangerous to health, often fatal and characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth)

Although an uncommon occurrence, brain tumor is a relatively more common form of cancer in dogs than feline cancer . A head injury may result in accumulation of fluid in the brain or a cranial fracture – both of which may cause brain damage. Although both the conditions can be treated medically irrespective of whether it is a typical case or a severe instance, a brain surgery is required to relieve the pressure on the brain.

Brain tumors, however, are believed to have a genetic predisposition as they occur mostly in young cats. Brain tumors may be primary, occurring in the brain itself, or secondary, as extensions due to metastasis of a malignant growth in the nasal passage, skull or ear cavity and pituitary gland tumors.

Like all cancers, brain tumors too do not show early symptoms. However, unlike the symptoms of liver cancer in dogs and cats that are non-specific some of the symptoms of a brain tumor are specific and some of them are even indicative of exactly where the tumor is located.

General symptoms

* Loss of training.
* Decreased activity.
* Infrequent purring.
* Confusion.

The l iver is an important organ of the detoxification system in the body. Every human being and pet is exposed to carcinogens. These carcinogens are substances that cause cancer. The liver purifies these carcinogens to a large extent keeping the toxicity levels down.

But in cats, the fungi that appear on spoiled cat-food, specific pesticides and food additives, dyes, plants and animal tissue become toxic only after being metabolized by the liver. These substances can therefore, potentially cause feline cancer in the liver in cats.

Primary liver tumors are rare in cats and most of the times liver cancer in cats appears as a result of metastasis from other cancers. Primary liver tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors do not cause much trouble to the cat unless they grow big enough to encroach upon other organs that are close by. In certain cases benign tumors in the liver may result in lowering blood sugar levels in the cat.

There are two ways in which cancer treatment in pets can be approached. The first is the conventional treatment, which is often tantamount to maltreatment. This is so because conventional treatment is insensitive and causes a great amount of suffering to the animal. Cancer treatment is toxic and options like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are beset with side effects. These side effects can be more dangerous than the disease itself.

The other approach is the holistic approach, which targets the underlying cause of the disease and attempts to cure it. A holistic approach helps in uprooting the disease from its roots. It also strengthens the overall body organs.

The basic principle behind a holistic approach is that no disease occurs without a cause. A holistic approach treats symptoms as reflections of the body’s effort to heal itself or as the results of the causes behind the disease.

The free flow of information in today’s environment and easy access has made pet owners alive to the symptoms of cancer in dogs and cats. Whether it is a case of cancer in dogs or a feline cancer, it almost always puts pet owners in a dilemma. The dilemma exists between proper treatment and putting the animal to sleep to save him from unnecessary suffering. The seriousness and the fatal nature of the disease almost always desists cat owners to look for any alternative treatment.

Breast cancer constitutes almost all of glandular feline cancers and up to 80 to 96% of all malignant tumors in cats. It is also the third most common form of cancer in cats after lymphoid and skin cancers. Although breast cancer in cats is not breed specific, Siamese and Japanese breeds are more vulnerable than others. Obesity too seems to be a high risk factor. Spayed cats, however, carry a significantly reduced risk of developing mammary tumors.

Mammary tumors may either be floating or attached to the skin or the underlying muscles and are commonly found in the front set of mammary glands. Swelling, pain or infection in the glands and fever are among the most common symptoms that may indicate prevalence of mammary tumors.

Unless your cat has developed a mammary gland hyperplasia, diagnosis is a simple affair as a mass arising out of the glands can be felt or seen around the nipples. The stage to which breast cancer has advanced is normally established with the aid of laboratory examinations, chest X-Rays or other tests that may be essential. Bilateral radical surgery, which is the removal of both the mammary chains, is the most recommended treatment for mammary tumors. Follow up of the surgery requires a consultation with a veterinarian oncologist as chemotherapeutic drugs require proper administration and regular monitoring of side effects.