It is a reality – like people, cats can also have cancer. It also makes sense that methods used for humans could likely heal a cat, too. Thus, chemotherapy could also be used on cats with cancer.
- This type of treatment can be used for many types of cancers, whether they are affecting just one spot or many areas of the body.
- Chemotherapy works by destroying the fast growing cells that often comprise the cancerous tumors. Still, that could also mean destruction of normal body cells. Therefore, the vet will ensure that the chemotherapy is administered with the least impact on the normal cells.
- Chemotherapy could be administered as a direct injection or through catheter.
Cat Chemotherapy Cost
- The cost of this treatment varies among clinics and animal hospitals.
Cat Chemotherapy Side Effects
- Unlike in humans, chemotherapy does not usually cause hair or fur loss in cats. Still, their whiskers could fall off.
- The treatment could also cause the cat to have no appetite up to a few days after the treatment was administered.
- The cat might also experience vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal problems.
- The cat’s bone marrow might also be affected to some extent.
- Although the side effects are not every severe, normal cells do get affected by chemotherapy. This is especially noticeable in the immediate area where the shot is administered.
- One rare side effect is that the cat will develop a life-threatening systemic infection.
Another rare side effect is that the cat may develop ulcerations and some areas in the body could swell.