Sun and Skin Cancer in our Pets
Skin cancer in dogs and cats is one of the few truly “preventable” cancers in our pets. We frequently see a type of skin cancer call “squamous cell carcinoma” (SCC) in white cats and dogs with unpigmented skin, such as Bull Terriers and Staffies. The ways to prevent this type of cancer are very similar in dogs and cats when compared to people.
- Slip – Slip on a sun suit. There are sun suits specifically designed for dogs. Many of these can be worn in the back yard, down the beach, in fact pretty much anywhere the dog goes.
- Slop – Slop on sunscreen. We recommend you use a sunscreen designed for use in animals to ensure there are no problems with toxicity. Using sunscreen is particularly important for white cats, as the nose and tips of the ears (which can’t be protected by sun suits) are the most commonly affected areas of cats. For dogs, sunscreen can be used on the head and any areas of unpigmented skin.
- Slap – While you can’t put a hat on a dog, you can make sure they are provided with plenty of shade. Some dogs love sunbaking. For these dogs it may be necessary to confine them to shady areas during the day to stop them from lying in the sun. Remember dogs don’t understand that sunbaking causes cancer, so it’s up to their owners to protect them from this.
The first signs we get with an animal developing SCC’s are little wounds or scabs that never quite seem to heal. As the cancer gets more advanced, the wounds may get bigger and be prone to bleeding. If caught early, we can often use cryotherapy (freezing) to treat the lesions. More advanced cases may require surgery to remove the affected skin.
These cancers are very invasive, so early detection and treatment is important. However, prevention is much better than cure so please make sure your pet is protected this summer.