Pets can fall ill with very serious ailments, including cancer. It is considered very dangerous mastopathy in cats, which is classified as a precancerous disease. When the first symptoms of this ailment appear, you should immediately go to the clinic, since here the account is already going for days.
The causes of mastopathy in cats have not yet been established. Specialists are inclined to think that sex hormones play a big role in the formation of nodules. It is noted that individuals who underwent sterilization before the first are not at risk. In cats who were sterilized before the second estrus , the risk of the disease is reduced by 25% compared to what the brood can still lead.
Symptoms of mastopathy in a cat
Traditionally, the mammary glands are enlarged during pregnancy . The increase is accompanied by the onset of lactation, after which the size of the mammary glands becomes the same. However, if this condition becomes pathological, then you need to sound an alarm. The main sign of mastopathy is a breast tumor in a cat, inside of which there is dark contents.
The tumor is identified by feeling the stomach. Normally, the animal has four pairs of glands on the left and right abdominal wall. Most often, the tumor appears in the third and fourth mammary gland. Sometimes several palpations are palpable in different places. Remember that the final diagnosis is made after cytological analysis and biopsy. Unfortunately, the most common type of tumor in animals is a malignant tumor of "adenocarcinoma". The prognosis depends on the area of the tumor:
- less than 2 cm: favorable prognosis with 85% probability of complete cure;
- 2-3 cm: questionable forecast with a maximum survival time of 1 year;
- from 3 cm: unfavorable prognosis.
Treatment of mastopathy in cats
The traditional question that every owner asks: what to do if a cat has a mastopathy? In such cases, one side or all rows of glands is removed. With bilateral lesions, the operation is done in stages with a 14-day interval. This surgical intervention refers to operations of moderate severity and is relatively easy to transfer.
If surgical removal of the tumor does not stop the development of the disease, then chemotherapy is prescribed. It is aimed at destroying the metastases that left the mastopathy. Drip administration of the drug is provided, which is performed in cycles with a break of 21 days. Wool does not fall out during the procedures of the animal.