Lilly Cancerous Mouth Oral Cancer Cat Smoking

PICTURES OF LILLY'S CANCEROUS MOUTH

Here are pictures of the inside of the mouth of Lilly, a friend's cat we took in to care for during the final days of her life. She had lived in a smoking household and had developed oral cancer. She previously had been seen by another vet, who took out some teeth on her lower right and prescribed oral antibiotics for an assumed "abscess." We apologize for the graphic and sad nature of these pictures, but we wanted other animals to benefit from Lilly's ordeal.

Notice all the blood vessels that had formed under Lilly's tongue. Tumors love lots of bloodflow, as this is what brings the tumors the nutrients (primarily sugar) they need to keep growing. The process of making new blood vessels is called angiogenesis.

Notice, too, how cancer had not only taken over so much of Lilly's mouth, but how it had infiltrated her tongue on the sides. It is truly amazing that she was able to eat at all, let alone with the gusto she exhibited.

The lower right of the four pictures was taken during her first examination by the veterinarian who cared for Lilly. Notice how far Lilly's cancer had progressed when the other pictures were taken, which was just 8 days later. The veterinary personnel estimated that Lilly's cancer had more than doubled in just 8 days.

Please don't let this happen to your cat. Have regular veterinary care, including thorough oral exams and dental care, especially if you're a smoker. If your cat needs dental work, get it done! Don't let it progress past the point of being able to help arrest its development. Please, if you love your pets, consider quitting smoking.

Lilly's mouth had begun to really emit an odor, which was due to all the necrotic (dying) tissue caused by the cancer. If you notice an odor in your cat's (or dog's) mouth, get him or her to the vet right away, as there's something wrong that needs to be attended to. Letting dental problems progress, even if they're not cancer, can lead to all sorts of other health issues for your pet, including heart-valve issues.

To learn more, visit Google. Here is a link to the Google search for "oral cancer cats smoking."