Possible Causes, Prevention Recently one of my four cats was unexpectedly diagnosed and subsequently ravaged by cancer. This article contains some of my experiences with the diseases along with some general facts and figures about cat cancer. I recently read an article from one of the most trusted medical resources online which clearly states that cancer in cats is not as common as cancer in dogs. On the other hand the Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook clearly states that 32 percent of all cats over the age of 10 will die from cancer. I am hard pressed to believe that aging dogs have this high a fatality rate. That said, these statistics drive home the point as to how important it is for both cat and dog owners to learn as much as possible about recognizing and treating this horrible disease. Additionally, I asked my vet who has been in practice for over 30 years what he thought the cat - dog ratio was and after a second or two of thought he said he believed to be about 50/50, but varied slightly depending on the type, and location, of the cancer involved. So when you get right down to it I guess it all depends on how many cats compared to dogs your veterinarian sees over a given period of time. My cats cancer was internal, located in and around the neck area. He was a big strong proud male eight years of age. In cat terms just past the prime of his life. He seemed to be losing both muscle mass and weight, and had gone from 16 pounds down to around 12 in a relatively short period of time. My vet ran some tests and confirmed cancer. The cost was $600 for testing. I have read where the average cost is somewhere around $750 but can run as high as $1000. He went on to say that the position of the tumors made them inoperable due to fact that he didn’t think he could get what was called a “clean cut”. This means in surgical terms not being able to take enough healthy tissue out along with the cancer to assure all the cancer had been removed. Veterinarians will tell you that a failed cancer surgery means almost certain death since the cancer tends to come back with a vengeance. Chemotherapy and radiation were other options my veterinarian advised against due to the type of cancer and the advanced stage. The cost would have been from $2000 to $3000 and the radiation from $5000 to $6000 with little hope of success. In the end the best he could do was prescribe a high dose steroid treatment along with an antibiotic. While I love my vet and think he always tries his best I must say with all honesty this simply did not work. In fact, I believe it actually accelerated the speed at which the cancer was spreading. My best guess as to why this happened was due to immune system damage caused by the steroids, but honestly I can’t say for sure. After only 3 weeks of veterinary visits and treatment my cat was now down to 7 pounds and looked awful. The next thing I tried was a combination of C-Caps (homeopathic remedy) from Native Remedies along with a daily dose of vitamin B-12. This combination seemed to reinvigorate my feline companion and curb the weight loss. I feel this combination extended my feline friends life about six months. During this time there was a noticeable decrease in the size of the tumors and an improvement in both energy and mobility levels. A summary of possible cancer causes in cats Cancer is the uncontrolled mutation of cells and can be triggered by any one of a myriad of factors. These factors can be both genetic and environmental. Among the risk factors that should be taken into account if your goal is to avoid cat cancer are over exposure to ultraviolet rays, X-rays, nuclear radiation; exposure to chemicals such as household cleansers and aniline dyes; exposure to first and second hand smoke; exposure to herbicides; and even vaccines can on occasion cause fibrosarcomas. Other possible causes are excessive stress, electrical dust, viruses, and parasites. In conclusion, cancer in cats is a terrible disease that is fatal at least half of the time. Most would argue it is difficult to fight a disease that the cause is unknown most of the time. Nevertheless, by implementing some simple steps (along with taking into account the risk factors above) you can greatly reduce your cats chances of cancer. These steps include implementing a healthy diet high in omega 3 fatty acids, plenty of clean fresh purified water, additive/chemical free foods, limiting exposure to known carcinogens, daily supplements such as homeopathics formulated to boost immune system function, daily exercise, regular veterinary visits, and a lot of love. Homeopathics For Slowing Cancer Growth in Cats |
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