Did you know that May is the National Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness Month? Do you know that your pets (cat, dog, and horse) may be at high risk for this disease?

I have cautioned before about allowing pink-pigmented cats to spend much time in the sun for just this reason. Studies have shown that white cats living outdoors have a greater risk for developing skin cancer. The face and ears of these animals are exposed to the sun the most, and is generally where squamous cell carcinomas develop. Felines are more susceptible than dogs to develop these malignancies.

Skin cancer frequently strikes the middle-aged to older cat (6-14 years of age), and studies have also recently linked the Feline immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) to the growth of cancerous tumors.

In our trapping efforts, we occasionally come across ferals which have obvious cancers on their faces. Last year we had one such female cat that had lost much of her left ear, part of the right, and the nose also showed signs of tumors.

With the return of warm weather and intense sun, please take time to examine your animals now and on a regular basis. To catch this killer disease early is to have a better chance of saving your pet.

Symptoms:
1. A lump on or beneath the skin
2. A sore that will not heal
3. Frequent scratching or chewing on a particular spot
4. An area of the skin that is red, prone to bleed, or is flaky

Diagnosis:
1. Biopsy
2. Cytology (microscopic examination of suspected cells)
3. Complete blood count (CBC)
4. Chemistry panel
5. Urinalysis
6. Chest X-rays (for examination of the lungs for tumors)

Treatment (depends on the type and stage of the cancer):
1. Surgery
2. Radiation
3. Chemotherapy
4. Cryosurgery
5. Photodynamic therapy

Prevention:
1. The obvious one is to limit your animal’s sun exposure, especially between the hours of 10am-2pm.
2. Ask your vet about sunscreens which can be safely used on a pet’s ears.
3. Frequently examine your pet for symptoms and contact your veterinarian with any unusual findings.

Update on Amelia…
She is worming her way into the hearts of the adult cats in the house now, even wrestling with one of them this morning. She did take a frightening fall from the upstairs balcony recently, which thankfully has made her a bit more cautious. Follow her progress on the new website where my Scottish Terrier blogs about “…life in a multi-species household and [her] work as a foster mom to feral kittens.”