Lung Cancer In Cats

The most common symptom of lung cancer in cats is coughing. This quickly progresses to difficulty in breathing.

There are two main types of lung cancer in cats.

Firstly, there is primary lung cancer, where the tumor starts in the lung tissue. Unfortunately, by the time these tumors are diagnosed, they’ve usually already spread to other parts of the body.

Veterinarians at Tufts University, Massachusets studied the records of 180 cats who were treated at their veterinary hospital over a period of 7 years. Their results suggested that cats who lived with cigarette smokers and were exposed to second hand smoke, were much more likely to develop lung cancer.

There is also a condition in cats called lung-digit syndrome. This occurs when there is a primary lung tumor which spreads to the toes. There may be no sign of any lung disease and the first indication that there may be a problem occurs when a cat has a swollen and painful toe which doesn’t heal.

The second type of lung cancer in cats is secondary lung cancer. This develops when a tumor in another part of the body spreads to the lungs, causing tumors there. Tumors commonly spread to the lungs of cats from the stomach, mouth or breast.

Symptoms are the same as for primary lung tumors.

Lung cancer in cats is diagnosed primarily by Xray. If the tumor is a single lump, it can be surgically removed, however many times lung cancer in cats consists of many small nodules throughout the lungs.

Even with treatment, cats with lung cancer only survive a few months after diagnosis.

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Tagged as: cat cancer, cat lung cancer, Lung cancer, passive smoking