Cat Parathyroid Tumor

Owning a cat comes with many responsibilities and costs. One of those costs is caring for a sick cat, especially when their illness is due in part to a type of Cat Cancer. One of the common forms of cancer in cats is parathyroid tumors. Parathyroid tumors, once found, are usually benign, which means they cannot kill the cat since they are not malignant. A parathyroid tumor can cause a cat to have an increase in thirst and an increase in urination. Once the tumor has been found and surgery has been performed, the prognosis for the cat is usually very good.
There are no particular breeds of cats that are more prone to parathyroid tumors. Ten percent of cats affected by parathyroid tumors will have multiple tumors in their body. Because the tumors are mostly benign they will not spread to other areas of the cat’s body.

Signs and Symptoms

Aside from Cat Increased Urination and Cat Increased Thirst, other symptoms of parathyroid tumors include the following:

•Cat Lethargy

•Weakness

•Poor appetite or Cat Loss of Appetite

•Straining to urinate

•Inability to pass urine

•Blood in the urine

•Cat Vomiting

•Cat Diarrhea

Treatment Options

Parathyroid tumors are located in the neck, which means they can usually be easy to feel in cats that develops them. If your cat has been diagnosed with a parathyroid tumor, surgery is the best treatment option. Once surgery is complete, painkillers will be prescribed to help your cat to breathe and sleep more comfortably. Make sure you limit your cat’s activities for at least three weeks following the surgery.

Some cats that are diagnosed with a parathyroid tumor and subsequently have it removed, will also suffer from low calcium levels, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. Symptoms of low calcium levels include the following:

•Rubbing of the face

•Dilation of the pupils

•Loss of an appetite

•Twitching muscles

•Cat Seizures

•Weakness

Following the surgery, your cat may experience trouble with bowel movements for various reasons that may include the following:

•Cat had to fast prior to surgery and has an empty stomach

•The cat did not eat well during the hospital stay

•The cat does not eat well upon returning home

•The cat is fed food that is highly digestible, which means they do not have much stool

•The cat is taking pain medication that causes Cat Constipation

Make sure that you do not let your cat lick the area where the surgery took place. Licking the area of the surgery can cause multiple problems such as:

•Incision can open

•Stitches can be removed

•Licking can turn into a habit that can be difficult to break

•A cat’s mouth has a lot of bacteria and licking can cause an infection of the surgery area

Prevent licking by using a cervical collar, which can prevent your cat from getting their tongue on the surgery area.

Additional Cat Cancer Pages

Cat Cancer | Cat Skin Cancer | Cat Lung Cancer | Cat Pancreatic Cancer | Cat Cancer Prevention | Cat Cancer Diagnosis | Cat Gastric Cancer | Cat Lymphoma Cancer | Cat Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Cat Mouth Cancer | Cat Brain Tumor | Cat Palliative Cancer Care