Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Finding nodules
• Part 2 of 3: Evaluating a lump
• Part 3 of 3: Getting a medical diagnosis
• Tips

When it comes to skin cancer, your cat's furry coat and pigmented skin are his best friends. Its dense coat protects the cat's skin from UV rays like a permanent sunscreen. This means that cats are less prone to skin anchor than humans or animals with less coat. However, cats can get skin cancer. The most common type of skin cancer in cats is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). If you have a cat, you should be on the lookout for signs of skin cancer so that it can be treated as soon as possible.

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Part 1 of 3: Finding nodules

1. Watch for lumps and discoloration. Skin cancer usually causes a discolored and raised area on the skin. When playing with or cuddling your cat, use that time to examine his body for discolored skin. Also, keep an eye out for areas where the cat's fur appears unusual, possibly because of a lump under its skin.
   • If you find an abnormal area, have it examined by a vet. Cats can develop nodule for a variety of reasons, skin cancer is just one of them. The vet can evaluate whether any lumps are a problem or not.
2. Feel your cat's body to find lumps. Since cats are covered in so much fur, it's also important to feel your cat's body to spot signs of skin cancer. Feel for lumps and bumps on the skin, both in areas with a lot of fur and areas with less fur.
   • While skin cancer is often related to sun exposure, and thus appears in areas with less coat, there are also types that have nothing to do with sun exposure. Fortunately, cats are less prone to non-UV skin cancers, such as mast cell tumors.
3. Be especially vigilant when checking for skin cancer in white cats. Squamous cell carcinoma is usually found on white noses, eyelids, and ears. This is a direct result of UV rays on skin with little coat and little pigment. A white cat who likes the sun is most at risk of developing SCC, so you should check these cats more often for signs of the disease.
   • If the cat has one black ear and one white ear, the white ear is more susceptible to SCC.
4. Have all lumps checked by a vet. It is true that some signs of skin cancer require immediate care, such as rapid growth, redness, or sores. However, there is no guarantee that a small, slow-growing lump is harmless or dangerous. This is why it is important to have all lumps checked by a vet.
   • Some aggressive tumors can mimic and take on the characteristics of a harmless lump, for example, they can be superficial or grow slowly. However, they can still become aggressive in the future.
   • It is difficult to distinguish a harmless skin lump from a dangerous one by looking at it with the naked eye. The only way to know for sure if a lump is harmful is to have it removed and biopsy examined in a lab.

Part 2 of 3: Evaluating a lump

1. Check the growth rate of a lump. A skin lump is less likely to be malignant if it grows slowly, meaning you won't see any visible change from one month to the next. Fast-growing lumps are called aggressive tumors. These can often spread to other parts of the cat's body. The types of nodules grow so fast that you often see changes from one week to the next.
   • When you first find a lump, measure it with a ruler and note the size. Repeat this process every week so you can determine if the lump is changing or not.
2. Evaluate whether the lump is under the skin or on top of it. A lump that lies on the surface of the skin, has a recognizable border and does not infiltrate the surrounding tissue, is likely a wart, cyst or harmless mass of skin is a site of skin cancer. Skin cancer is usually in the skin and its mass can be felt under the skin.
3. Watch for dark pigment on the lump. Black pigment on a fair-skinned animal is a warning sign when it comes to skin cancer. Dark pigment is faintly associated with more serious cancers, such as malignant melanoma, so a dark colored lump should never be ignored.
4. See if your cat is scratching or chewing the lump. Skin cancer can cause irritation, which means your cat can scratch or chew the lump to relieve the irritation. In some more serious cancers, such as mast cell cancer, the lumps contain histamine granules, which can make the lump very itchy.
5. Watch for inflammation and sores. Cancerous nodules tend to look inflamed, which means that the skin appears more pink than the surrounding tissue. If you find a lump, immediately check the surrounding tissue and determine if the area is red or inflamed.
   • In the early stages of SCC, skin without pigment becomes inflamed and has a darker pink color than the surrounding skin. The skin will start to look scaly and can be confused with ringworm.
   • Ulcers mean that the lump breaks open and becomes a wound. If you notice this, you should seek medical attention for your cat.
6. Look for lumps of unusual shape. Cancerous lumps often have an unusual shape. This means that they usually do not have a round shape, while regular nodules are usually round.
   • The lump infiltrates deep into the skin, making it appear as if the skin is glued to the underlying tissue.
7. See if the skin darkens. In SCC, the inflamed areas can turn an aggressive red color if your cat continues to sunbathe. There is also a chance that the skin will start to erode. When that happens, ulcers will form as well.
   • If the cancer affects an ear, the rim of that ear may become irregular in shape, as if small bites had been taken from it.

Part 3 of 3: Getting a medical diagnosis

1. Protect your cat from the sun if you notice signs of skin cancer. Apply sunscreen to your cat's sensitive skin until you can take him to the vet. You can also keep your cat indoors on sunny days to avoid sunbathing. Draw the curtains to block UV rays even further.
   • If possible, buy a sunscreen that is specially made for cats. If it is not available in your area, use a sunscreen made for children and choose the highest protection factor available.
   • Always check the ingredients and avoid using a cream containing octyl salicylate and zinc. These substances are not good for cats as they can swallow the product while washing and be exposed to potentially toxic substances.
2. Have your cat checked by a vet. It is not wise to assume regarding lumps on your cat's skin. Skin cancer is rare, but when it does occur it is often the serious kind. If you find a lump on your cat, keep this in mind and have it checked by the vet.
   • Call the vet and tell him what you found. Make an appointment to have your cat checked-up as soon as possible so that you can start treatment immediately if a problem is found.
3. Have a thin needle biopsy performed. A small sample of the cells in the lump is taken by means of an injection needle. The vet can then check the cells for signs of cancerous growth, without running the risk of missing cancer cells due to the small size of the sample.
   • This is a non-invasive procedure that is performed while the cat is awake, and most cats undergo this process without any problems.
4. Get a complete biopsy. This involves removing some of the tissue from the lump, which is then sent to a lab for analysis. If the lump can be easily removed, the lump can be completely removed and the vet sends part of it to a laboratory for histological examination.
   • A histological examination will determine whether the nodule is cancerous.

Tips

• Cats are not as prone to skin cancer as other animals, but if they do develop a lump, there is usually a serious cause. White cats in particular are at risk for SCC due to the lack of pigment on their skin.If your cat has a lump on the skin, always get it checked by a vet.