You can’t catch cancer from your cat

Q My cat has lymphoma. I know people also get this style of cancer. Is it attainable for my cat to give me her lymphoma?

A: No. Cancers are not transmitted from animals to folks, or for that make a difference, from a person human being to a further.

Cats contaminated with FeLV, the feline leukemia virus, are at bigger chance of creating lymphoma than cats that had been under no circumstances uncovered to the virus. Yet although contaminated cats can distribute FeLV to other cats, they can not transmit lymphoma to them — or to individuals, even men and women whose immune systems are suppressed by condition or treatment.

Only 3 cancers are recognised to be contagious, and these spread only to related animals.

A person is the canine transmissible venereal tumor, which is spread to canines, wolves, coyotes and foxes by sexual speak to, licks and bites. These tumors, which seem on the canine’s genitals, confront and once in a while somewhere else, reply very well to chemotherapy and radiation treatment method.

The next contagious cancer is devil facial tumor, which is transmitted amongst Tasmanian devils when they bite every single yet another. This cancer, which is practically constantly fatal, is threatening the Tasmanian devil species with extinction.

Finally, a fatal leukemia-like cancer can be transmitted among the particular clams.

None of these cancers is contagious to other species, together with human beings.

In addition, no other animal or human cancers have at any time been transmitted to individuals, even all those with compromised immune programs. So really feel cost-free to snuggle with your cat frequently.

Q: Our 1-calendar year-outdated German shepherd appeared to be strolling on eggshells, as even though each individual step hurts. His veterinarian identified rising pains and prescribed ache drugs, which is helping. Remember to convey to us about growing pains in canines.

A: Escalating pains, also termed panosteitis or just “pano,” are induced by swelling (-itis) of every single aspect (pan-) of a bone (-oste-) in one particular or extra legs.

Pano typically develops at 6 to 18 months of age — therefore the identify “growing pains.” It can recur intermittently until eventually the dog’s skeleton matures at 2 to 2.5 years of age, even though it has been documented in canine as previous as 5 yrs.

Although the situation can strike any pet, it arises most frequently in rapidly rising substantial- and big-breed pet dogs. The prevalence is four instances better in males than females.

The cause is unknown. Pano can be partly inherited, as it takes place most often in German shepherds and certain other breeds. Veterinary professionals imagine excessive nutritional protein or calcium could also participate in a function in precipitating the illness.

Scientific signals, which persist for months to months, include mild to significant leg soreness and lameness, reluctance to transfer, lowered electricity and hunger, and sometimes fever. These scientific symptoms normally wax and wane.

Pano assaults one or additional legs and can shift from a person leg to an additional. The front legs are afflicted 4 instances extra generally than the hind legs, with the upper bones — the humerus in the front leg and the femur in the rear leg — more often included than the lower leg bones.

Radiographs, at times known as X-rays, are usually typical when the pain begins. The lag time among the onset of leg soreness and the physical appearance of bony alterations on the radiographs can be as much as 10 to 14 times.

Therapy is made up of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) and other suffering relievers. These medicines assistance simplicity the distress right until the disorder resolves on its own. Luckily, the ailment has no extensive-phrase results.

Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Speak to her at

[email protected]