cat lung cancer symptoms
Pets provide many hours of fun and laughter for the family. However, we must also face that there comes a time when our feline friends can suffer from illnesses and diseases that are beyond our control. Cats can also suffer from lung cancer. It can originate directly from the lungs or from other sources and spread to the lungs. No one knows why some cats develop this but some researches claim that this might is more common in cats residing in urban areas rather than rural cats. The environmental pollution can contribute to the occurrence of lung cancer, pneumonia and other respiratory problems in cats.
What are cat lung cancer symptoms?
Many owners do not have a clue that their cat is suffering from a serious illness and because of this they fail to understand what needs to be done at the first stages of the illness. Cat lung cancer symptoms would include loss of appetite, constant coughing and wheezing that can be accompanied by blood, significant weight loss and difficulty in breathing. Some cats would still be able to eat with appetite despite the cancer. Tshey just have to be provided with sufficient food that they can smell. Once cat shows signs of runny nose and coughing they must be taken to the vet immediately to determine where the problem is coming from. Lung cancer is very difficult to treat once it has gone to an advance stage.
How can cat lung cancer be diagnosed?
Cats have to be taken to a vet and would have to be given a chest x-ray in order to be able to detect the presence of lung cancer. Unfortunately for many developing countries chest x-ray for cats is hard to come by due to the lack and concern for pets in most Asian countries. In the Philippines and Korea, there are many restaurants serving dog meat. In remote areas, they also treat cats as a delicacy. People have to be educated regarding the proper way of treating domesticated animals like cats and dogs.
Once the cat has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the vet would have to do a number of tests including blood tests and urinalysis in order to measure the red and white blood cells, platelets, blood sugar and proteins. All of this can be costly, which is why it is important to take pet health insurance. The vet would have to determine if the tumor is benign or non-cancerous or if it is malignant or what we call cancerous. The cat may have a fluid in the lungs which makes it harder to breathe; the vet would have to draw out this fluid using a needle.
Can cat lung cancer be treated?
cat lung cancer symptoms
If the tumor has not spread yet into the lungs and is confined in just one lobe of the lung then surgery can still be done, but if the tumor has already spread all throughout surgery is no longer an option. Chemotherapy can be done to help the ailing cat. However, this option is not present in most veterinary centers especially in developing countries. Many do not understand the value of pets and their role in nature and the ecosystem, more campaigns have to be done in order to increase the awareness of the importance of each species.
