Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), are a relatively common cancer of cats, affecting the ears, nose and eyelids of cats. It occurs more frequently in white cats, but is seen in other bi-color and tortoiseshell cats, especially when there is little or no pigment in these areas. Actinic keratosis, a prequel to this form of epidermal carcinoma, are […]

Melanoma are a rare and highly metastatic skin disease of cats. In cats, melanoma account for less than 1% of all feline oral neoplasms and approximately 0.5% of feline skin tumors[1]. The ocular and cutaneous forms are generally more common than melanoma of the oral cavity[2]. The most common cutaneous sites are eyes, mouth, dorsal head region, […]

Mast cell tumours are a rare skin disease of cats, but the second most common feline skin tumours (following basal cell tumours). Mastocytaemia in cats appears exclusively associated with mast cell tumours[1]. There are two forms of mast cell tumours; a mastocytic form that histologically resembles normal mast cells and a histiocytic cutaneous form that histologically resembles histiocytic mast […]

Feline mammary carcinomas are one of the most common neoplasms affecting middle-aged and older female cats of all breeds. Because most feline mammary tumours are malignant, early detection and aggressive therapy have a significant influence on survival time[2]. The percentage of malignant mammary tumours is higher in the cat (86%) than in the dog (42%)[3], […]

Sarcomas and fibrosarcomas are rare skin diseases of cats. Sarcomas are neoplasms of mesenchymal (stem cell) origin, and are different to neurofibrosarcoma of nerve tissue origin. Fibrosarcomas are malignant mesenchymal tumours arising from fibroblasts. They can occur at any anatomical location and are common in cats, comprising 24 to 33% of tumours of skin and subcutis. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma […]

Fibropapillom are a rare but benign neoplastic skin disease of cats. From the first descriptions of feline cutaneous fibropapillomas in the 1990s, the morphologic similarity to equine sarcoids was immediately recognized. Since equine sarcoids have a strong association with papillomaviruses, a similar association was investigated in cats. Early investigations proved negative; however, a recent report provides strong […]

Feline Bowenoid in situ carcinoma (BISC) is a rare variant of feline squamous cell carcinoma that presents as multiple discrete plaques of epidermal hyperplasia and dysplasia. For a long time it was assumed that feline papilloma virus might play a role in this disease. Now it has been proven by using consensus primers – and even more the virus […]

Cutaneous haemangiosarcomas are a mesenchymal tissue neoplasm (soft tissue tumor). They are also known as connective tissue tumors, which are relatively frequent in domestic animals and have a high incidence in some species. In cats, connective tumors occupy the second position of all neoplasms diagnosed in this species, having an incidence of 17 in every […]

Physaloptera spp are a parasitic spirurid stomach nematode of cats worldwide[1]. Reported species affecting cats are P. praeputialis, P. pseudopraeputialis[2], P. brevispiculum, P. rara[3] and P. pacitae[4]. The egg, containing the infective first stage-larva, is passed in the feces and eaten by a beetle larva. The larva develops to the infective third stage larva. The dog eats the beetle and the worm develops to the adult stage […]