Osteosarcoma in cats, a rare form of cancer in pets. Let’s try to understand what are the causes, the typical symptoms and the therapy foreseen for him.
Ensuring well-being and serenity to your cat is the main goal of every owner. The feline, despite its independent nature and its tendency to often live alone, needs daily care and attention from those who have adopted it. In the course of his life, the furry person can contract diseases and be the victim of even serious pathologies that it is good to know. Let’s talk about osteosarcoma in cats and how it can be addressed.
Osteosarcoma in cats: typical causes and symptoms
It is a rare tumor that can affect cats and dogs, generating very serious problems for the affected animal. Let’s try to understand what can be the triggering causes and symptoms that occur in the feline that suffers from it.
The dear domestic feline can be subject to many and different diseases, more or less serious, and for some of them there may be a hereditary predisposition.
Among the most dangerous neoplasms for the cat there is osteosarcoma, a malignant tumor quite rare in the feline but very serious, so it is recommended to know its evolution.
We speak of a tumor disease is not very common in cat but, once present, can have very harmful consequences for the hairy more senior. Osteosarcoma is a tumor of the bone tissue that mainly affects the area of the limbs.
According to recent studies, the causes may be attributable, in addition to genetic predisposition, to the repetition of microtrauma from exertion, bone infarcts, osteomyelitis, the presence of metal implants, continuous stimuli in tissue repair. Exposure to radiant doses is also indicated as a cause .
Osteosarcoma, in fact, can manifest itself as a mass, consistent or not, which can infiltrate both the bones and the soft tissues of the animal locally .
Symptoms of osteosarcoma in cats
This malignant tumor behaves less aggressively in the affected feline than in dogs. Usually, the organ most affected is the lung but can be located on the bones , liver and skin.
In its appendicular form, symptoms occur such as lameness related to the affected limb, very painful in the affected part. Other symptoms of this form and other localized areas are the following:
- Localized pain
- Fracture of the affected bone
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Inability to ingest food
- Swelling in the area affected by the neoplasm
- Swelling of the bones of the skull
- Paresis of the cat
Depending on the area affected by osteosarcoma, symptoms can vary in severity .
The feline and bone tumor: diagnosis and therapy
If you notice one or more of the symptoms listed, you need a medical check-up and a correct diagnosis to understand at what stage the tumor has advanced in the feline. Specific tests will need to be performed and therapy may vary according to your condition. We read more below.
In case of suspected osteosarcoma in cats, it is advisable to consult immediately with the trusted veterinarian and proceed with the accurate diagnosis.
This consists in the examinations of the blood, which comprise the profile biochemical, urine examination, the examination coagulation, the blood count and serum capillary electrophoresis. Specific radiographic and tissue biopsy investigations will be performed.
In addition, two radiographic projections of the painful area in the animal will be needed , which allow to observe the present lesion.
Care for the affected animal varies according to the severity of its condition and the affected area. In the feline, surgery is the only remedy. If osteosarcoma has affected a limb, amputation is expected.
In these cases, the amputated animals should recover well and have a peaceful life.