Q Our six-year old cat, an intact female named Sheba, has developed a lump in her breast. It's on the right side near her arm, and our vet thinks it's most likely a mammary gland tumor requiring surgery. Please suggest holistic options.
A Mammary tumors are very common in female dogs-in fact three times more common than in women. They are not so common in cats. However, while only 45 percent of mammary tumors tend to be malignant in dogs, 90 percent are malignant in cats. Most feline mammary tumors are adenocarcinomas and tend to affect the first two anterior or thoracic mammary glands close to the chest. Both dogs and cats have five pairs of mammary glands, a total of 10.
Causes
Older cats that have not been spayed (intact females) are most likely to develop mammary tumors. Male cats and spayed
