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."
Photos
are copyright 2008 and may not be used without prior, written permission.
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