If you notice any of the following you should contact your vet as soon as possible: What are the signs of sunburn and skin cancer? Your cat can become sunburnt through some types of glass, so you may need to use sunscreen even for indoor cats. Pet sunscreen is available from vets, Cat Protection, or good pet stores. Pet sunscreen needs to be reapplied regularly to maintain effectiveness: check the package directions. Pet sunscreens or zinc can be applied to the cat’s ears and nose if they do go outside but do not use human sunscreen as it is toxic to cats. White cats and cats with light coloured noses, ears, or eyelids should be kept inside all the time, or at least during the hottest parts of the day (11am – 4pm).
He was only three years old.Īt Cat Protection we have taken in cats as young as 12 months who required surgery to remove skin cancer.Īs sunburn is one of the major causes of the development of skin cancer, it is important to prevent it. Unfortunately, the cancer spread so much in this cat he was unable to be treated. As cats rely on their sense of smell to eat, this cat began to starve. The cancer has spread throughout the body causing the cat to lose his sense of smell and taste. The pictures above are of a cat with severe skin cancer. If left untreated, skin cancer can cause the spread of other cancers throughout the cat’s body and eventually lead to a very painful death. If diagnosed in the early stages, the skin cancer can sometimes be cut out of the infected area, or radiation therapy may be needed. Once cancer has developed, the damaged cells begin to deteriorate and appear to be eaten away. The sunburn causes the skin cells to become damaged and this increases the risk of skin cancer. Skin cancer in cats usually develops due to the skin being sunburnt a number of times.
White cats are the most susceptible to skin cancer due to the light coloured fur and light pigmentation of the skin. If your cat has light coloured fur on the nose or ears they are more susceptible to getting sunburnt, and in turn, getting skin cancer. (To download this factsheet please click here)Ĭats, just like humans, can get sunburnt.
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