Snowy had always been a bit of a fighter, constantly coming home with scratches and war wounds from his many feuds with the neighbourhood cats. Named for his pure white fur, he loved to be outside and was usually found pottering around in his owner’s sunny garden. Sean hadn’t been that concerned, therefore, when he’d spotted that one of Snowy’s ears was a bit scabby and crusty at the tip one sunny August day. However, when the scabbing failed to clear up in a few days and Snowy kept bothering at it, Sean took him for a check-up with the vet.

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The vet was quite concerned with the appearance of Snowy’s ear and the fact that it wasn’t healing. He advised that this could be ‘solar dermatitis’ due to sun exposure, but that there was a risk of other diseases, such as infection or even skin cancer. After discussion of the options, they decided to take a biopsy of Snowy’s ear tip to look for any cancerous cells. 

Symptoms of skin cancer in cats

The reason the vet was concerned was that some of the most common types of skin cancer can actually look more like a wound or an injury. Common symptoms include:

  • Scabby, crusty skin, especially on the ears, nose or eyelids
  • Red, weepy or oozy skin
  • Discoloured skin
  • Raised areas of skin (lumps)

Wounds or ulcers which don’t heal

  • Lethargy and general malaise

Snowy, being white-haired and spending a lot of time outdoors, had some increased risk factors for developing skin cancer compared to other cats.

Causes of skin cancer in cats

Cancer is caused by a large number of factors and the causes can be complex. However, in skin cancer there are a number of potential contributing factors.

  1. Genetics – some breeds of cats are more likely to develop certain cancers. Siamese cats are predisposed to mast cell tumours, whereas Persians and Himalayans are prone to basal cell tumours.
  2. Sun exposure – light-haired and hairless cats are more susceptible to damaging UV rays from the sun.
  3. Trauma – any physical wounds which disrupt the skin cells and cause scarring can potentiate cancerous cells growing.
  4. Chronic skin irritation – dermatological conditions (such as allergies) which cause chronic licking/grooming/scratching behaviours may be linked to cancer formation.

The biopsy revealed that Snowy had a type of skin cancer on his ear called squamous cell carcinoma. 

Types of skin cancer in cats

Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells, which replicate and grow to form a lump or tumour. They can be benign: growing slowly and without spreading, or malignant/aggressive: growing quickly and spreading. 

There are many types of cancer. These are the most common skin cancers in cats.

  1. Squamous cell carcinoma – more common in light-haired or hairless cats who spend time in the sun. Often found on the ears and face, and initially can look scabby and crusty instead of a formed mass. It can be itchy and irritating to cats. Locally aggressive and can spread rapidly across affected areas.
  2. Basal cell tumours – these masses are often found around the head and neck as a raised, hairless, firm lump. They vary in size and can be dark in colour. Most common in older cats and usually benign.
  3. Mast cell tumours – these present as lumps either on or under the skin, often around the head and neck area. 
  4. Malignant melanoma – these cancers develop from pigment-producing cells. Usually found on mucous membranes such as the mouth and nose, they can also develop on the skin. Melanomas can spread very rapidly. 
  5. Fibrosarcoma – these are tumours of the connective tissue and can be found anywhere on the body. They are very firm and well-attached to the underlying tissues and can be very locally aggressive, making them difficult to remove.

Skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinomas can spread rapidly, and a good prognosis depends on removing the cancerous cells quickly before they can invade other parts of the body. The surgery recommended for Snowy was called a pinnectomy, where the outer, cartilage part of the ear is removed. This would not affect Snowy’s hearing as only the pinna of the ear is removed rather than the inner canal, but it does have a marked cosmetic effect. 

Sean was keen to do whatever was needed to protect Snowy’s future health but was concerned about costs, as the surgery sounded radical and expensive. Currently, the cancer appeared to be only on Snowy’s ear tip, and could be removed by surgery alone, but if it spread across the face, it would become much more difficult to remove and Snowy may need more extensive treatment such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy or cryotherapy. 

The vet went through an estimate with him. Sean didn’t have the money to cover the costs up-front, but luckily, Snowy was insured. The vets agreed that they could do a direct insurance claim, where the insurance company pays the vet directly, rather than Sean having to pay and then be reimbursed.

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Fortunately, Snowy’s surgery was very successful

He now looks more like the village bruiser than ever, with his stumpy ear, but he is still terrorising the neighbourhood six months on. Sean tries to keep him out of the sun as much as possible and slathers him with a pet-friendly sunscreen every morning – much to Snowy’s disgust!

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