Cat Mouth Cancer Cures

Treating mouth cancer in cats is difficult and not often successful in the long term. There is no cure, but the earlier the cancer is identified the more likely it is that treatment will be successful. Cancer in your cat's mouth may appear as a raised, red mass. Symptoms may include drooling and lack of appetite. The veterinarian will likely take a biopsy of the lump in your cat's mouth to determine if it is cancer and to determine the best course of treatment.

  1. Surgery

    • Treatment most often begins with surgery. The cancer or tumor is surgically removed while the cat is under general anesthesia. If all of the cancer can be removed through surgery, the prognosis is good. However, many times all of the cancer cannot be removed and the cancer reoccurs.

    Chemotherapy

    • While chemotherapy doesn't cure mouth cancer in cats, many veterinarians may recommend it as a treatment option because it will slow the progression of the cancer. If chemotherapy is prescribed, it will likely be used in conjunction with surgery. As with humans, chemotherapy may cause vomiting, hair loss and drowsiness in cats, but it is generally tolerated by felines better than it is by people.

    Diet

    • Feeding your cat and ensuring that your pet continues to eat may be one of the more challenging aspects of treatment. Because your pet's mouth will be sore and eating may be painful, it will be necessary to experiment with various foods to find one that your cat can chew and swallow easily. Your cat may also experience a loss in appetite during the illness, treatment and recovery. A food that has a strong odor may encourage her to eat when she fails to consume other types of food.

    Pain Management

    • Pain management must be considered as part of treatment for any cat with cancer. If you cat has mouth cancer, it may be even more difficult than usual to give your pet a pill. However, there are creams that can be rubbed inside the cat's mouth to provide pain relief. In addition, providing a warm, quiet and comfortable place for your pet to rest will ease some of the pain. Warmth has been found to help lessen pain in felines. You might consider providing your cat with a heating pad on which to rest. The heating pad should be on its lowest setting and should be covered with a towel to ensure your pet isn't burned. You must also ensure that your cat can get off the heating pad whenever it gets too warm.