When it comes to skin cancer, the cat's best defense is its coat and pigmented skin. A cat's thick coat protects their skin from the sun and acts as a permanent sunscreen, meaning cats are less likely to develop skin cancer than humans and light-haired animals. However, this disease can still attack cats. The most common cat skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). If you have a cat, you should be alert to the symptoms of skin cancer so that it can be treated as soon as possible.
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Part 1 of 3: Finding Bumps on Cats
Step 1. Look for bulges or discoloration
Skin cancer usually causes raised or discolored areas of the skin. When playing or wrestling with your cat, try to examine its entire body for discoloration on its skin. Also pay attention to any odd areas of cat hair, for example due to the growth of the skin underneath.
If you find any abnormal areas, take them to the vet for examination. There are many reasons why a cat's skin may appear bumps, and skin cancer is just one of them. The vet will be able to determine whether the bumps on the skin are a problem or not
Step 2. Feel the lump on the cat's body
Since a cat's skin is covered with a lot of hair, you need to feel the symptoms of skin cancer in your cat's body for yourself. Feel for lumps and bumps on the skin in the hairy and moderately exposed areas.
Although skin cancer is often related to sun exposure and usually occurs in areas where the hair is thin, there are several types that are completely unrelated to ultraviolet light. Fortunately, the chances of a cat developing skin cancers that are not caused by sun exposure, such as cell tumors, are much smaller
Step 3. Check more closely for a white-haired cat
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) most often affects the nose, eyelids, and white ears. This is a direct result of sun exposure on thin hair that lacks pigment. White cats that love the sun are most often affected by SCC so you need to look for cancer symptoms in these cats more closely.
If your cat has ears that are one white and the other black, white ears are more prone to SCC
Step 4. Take the cat to the vet to have all the lumps checked
It is true that some of the symptoms associated with skin cancer should be treated as soon as possible, such as fast-growing bumps, redness, and ulcers. However, there is no guarantee that small, slow-growing lumps are harmless. This is why lumps should be checked by a veterinarian.
- Some aggressive tumors are reliable imitators, and may mimic the characteristics of a typical lump, such as being small and slow growing. However, over time, these bumps can become aggressive.
- It is difficult to distinguish dangerous skin bumps from those that are not, relying solely on the naked eye. The only way to be sure is to get rid of the lump and have a biopsy sent to the lab.
Part 2 of 3: Assessing the Bump
Step 1. Check the growth rate of the lump
Skin bumps are most likely harmless if they grow slowly, which means they don't change too much every month. Fast-growing lumps, called aggressive tumors, can spread to other parts of the cat's body. This type of lump grows quickly until the changes are clearly visible every week.
When you find a lump, measure it with a ruler and note the size. Repeat measurements every week to determine whether the size of the lump has changed or not
Step 2. Assess whether the lump is under or above the skin
A lump that stays on the surface of the skin, clearly demarcated, and doesn't irritate the surrounding tissue may be just a harmless wart, cyst, or skin mass. Skin cancer is often attached to the skin and can be felt under the skin.
Step 3. Look for the dark pigment of the lump
Black pigment in pale-skinned animals is a sign of skin cancer. Dark pigment is often associated with serious cancers such as malignant melanoma, so dark lumps should not be ignored.
Step 4. See if the cat is scratching or chewing the lump
Skin cancer can be irritating, meaning the cat may chew or scratch the lump to relieve it. Some of the more serious cancers, such as mast cell cancer, contain histamine granules that make the bumps very itchy.
Step 5. Monitor for inflammation or ulceration
Cancerous lumps tend to appear inflamed, which means they are more pinkish in color than the surrounding skin. When you first find a lump, look at the surrounding tissue and see if the area is red or inflamed.
- In the early stages of SSC, the non-pigmented skin is inflamed and dark pink in color compared to its surroundings. The skin will appear scaly and can be mistaken for ringworm.
- Ulceration means the lump breaks and becomes a sore. If you notice it, take it to the vet immediately.
Step 6. Look for odd-shaped lumps
Cancerous lumps are usually irregular in shape. That is, this lump is not an ordinary lump because it is not round.
The lump goes so deep into the skin that the skin looks like it's "sticking" to the underlying tissue
Step 7. See if the skin tone becomes darker
In the case of SSC, if the cat continues to bask in the sun, the inflamed area will turn angry red. There is also the possibility that the skin will erode; if it happens, usually an ulcer will begin to form.
If the cancer attacks the ear, the shape of the edges of the ear can be irregular, almost like being bitten by something
Part 3 of 3: Obtaining a Medical Diagnosis
Step 1. Protect your cat from the sun if you notice any signs of cancer
Apply sunscreen to your cat's sensitive skin until you can take him to the vet. You can also keep your cat indoors on sunny days to prevent her from basking in the sun. Close curtains or window blinds to prevent sunlight from entering.
- If possible, get a sunscreen designed for cats. If not, use a sunscreen for children and choose the one with the highest SPF.
- Always check the ingredients and avoid using lotions that contain octyl salicylate and zinc. Both of these ingredients are not good for cats because they can be swallowed and poisoned when he is grooming his fur.
Step 2. Take the cat to the vet for examination
You should not assume the status of skin bumps in cats. Skin cancer is quite rare, but when it occurs it is usually very serious. With this in mind, if you find a lump on your cat, take it to the vet for a check-up.
Call the veterinarian's clinic and share your findings. Make an appointment as soon as possible so that if there is a problem, you can deal with it as soon as possible
Step 3. Request a fine needle aspiration treatment
Fine needle aspirate (FNA) treatment is performed by taking a small sample of cells with a hypodermic needle. This procedure allows doctors to examine cells for signs of cancer cell growth, but there is a chance that cancer cells will be missed because the sample size is quite small.
This is a noninvasive procedure that is performed when the cat is fully awake and most will tolerate it well
Step 4. Get a biopsy for the cat
A biopsy procedure is performed by removing a portion of the protruding tissue and sending it to a lab for examination. If the bulge is easily removed, an excisional biopsy may be performed. This means that the vet will surgically remove the lump and send the piece to a histology lab.
