Oral Tumors in Cats: Treatment options, palliative care, how to know when it’s time for euthanasia

Oral tumors in cats, including feline squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and fibrosarcoma, are serious conditions that can significantly impact a cat’s health and quality of life. These tumors can be benign or malignant, with malignant tumors being more aggressive and difficult to treat. Hopefully this blog post can help you understand the symptoms, your treatment options (and which might be the best option for you situation.

Of course all these decisions are so hard. If you would like professional one-on-one guidance, don’t hesitate to schedule a teleconsult with one of our compassionate veterinarians:

Symptoms of Oral Cancer in Cats

Common symptoms of feline oral tumors include:

• Difficulty eating or loss of appetite
• Excessive drooling
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Facial swelling or lumps
• Foul breath (halitosis)
• Loose or missing teeth
• Weight loss
• Visible tumors or ulcers in the mouth

If your cat exhibits any of these symptoms, consult a veterinarian for a thorough examination. Imaging and a biopsy can confirm the diagnosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Feline Oral Tumors

The treatment approach for mouth tumors in cats depends on tumor type, location, and stage at diagnosis. Here are the primary treatment methods:

1. Surgery for Cat Oral Tumors

Surgical removal is often the first-line treatment, especially for small, localized tumors. If a tumor can be completely removed, it can sometimes be cured.

Pros: Can be curative if the tumor is completely excised, particularly in early-stage cases.

Cons: Many oral tumors are inoperable due to location; invasive procedures like partial jaw removal (mandibulectomy) can affect eating and quality of life and can be expensive.

2. Radiation Therapy for Feline Mouth Cancer

Radiation therapy is commonly used for inoperable tumors or as an adjunct to surgery when the tumor cannot be completely removed with surgery.

Pros: Can reduce tumor size, prolong life, and improve comfort.

Cons:Requires multiple vet visits requiring anesthesia and radiation therapy, which can be stressful to many cats and also expensive. Radiation can also have side effects such as local tissue damage.

3. Chemotherapy for Oral Cancer in Cats

Since most oral tumors are localized (ie they stay in one area), chemotherapy is less commonly used because chemotherapy is used to treat and prevent tumor spread to other parts of the body. However, it may be used in cases where spread is a concern.

Pros: Non-invasive option that may slow tumor growth.

Cons: Not usually effective in most oral tumors (because they are localized), require frequent veterinary visits, which can be stressful to many cats, can be costly, and there can be potential side effects such as nausea, lethargy, and reduced immune function.

4. Palliative Treatment for Cat Mouth Tumors

Palliative care means focusing on comfort and symptom relief rather than cure. It does not try to cure the cancer or extend life. Many pet parents (if not most) choose palliative care for oral tumors, because the treatments can be quite extreme, require frequent vet visits, don’t necessarily provide a long-term cure, and can be expensive.

Pros: Can improve comfort without invasive interventions or frequent veterinary visits.

Cons: Does not treat the underlying cancer so the tumor will continue to grow and eventually the decision for euthanasia needs to be made. Cats diagnosed with oral tumors treated with palliative care typically have a life expectancy of only a few weeks to a few months.

Recommendations for Palliative Care

Some of the things your veterinarian may recommend to help you keep your cat comfortable at home for as long as possible if palliative care is elected:

1. Pain Management – Your vet may prescribe pain relievers such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), steroids (such as prednisone), gabapentin, or opioids such as buprenorphine.
2. Diet management many cats do well with softer foods even liquidy foods. Some seem to prefer hard food for some reason. Offer your cat a variety of foods and let them decide what they like best. You can also offer them lots of soft treats like Churu or Tiki Cat.
3. Appetite Stimulation – mirtazapine (Brand name: Mirataz) is an appetite stimulant you can rub on your cat’s ear to help their appetite!
4. Grooming support oral tumors can sometimes bleed, so when a cat grooms, they get blood in their fur and can sometimes smell if the tumor is infected. Gently assist your cat with it’s grooming with gentle cleaning and brushing, if they like it.
5. Treating secondary infection if you notice a bad breath, antibiotics may help if the tumor becomes infected.
6. Environmental Modifications – Provide a quiet, stress-free space with easy access to food, water, and litter.
7. Quality of Life Tracking – Keep a daily diary of your pet’s quality of life.

When to Consider Euthanasia for Cats with Oral Tumors

Deciding when to euthanize a cat with oral cancer is incredibly difficult. Consider these objective criteria to ensure a humane and compassionate decision:

1. Pain and Discomfort – Cats can sometimes be subtle about showing pain. Fear of their food bowl, hiding, pawing at their face, listlessness and general lethargy can all be signs of pain. Cats will rarely cry out when they are in pain.
2. Difficulty Eating or Drinking – If the cat is unable to eat or drink adequately despite supportive care, euthanasia may be the kindest choice.
3. Significant Weight Loss or Muscle Wasting – Rapid weight loss or severe muscle atrophy suggests your pet is not getting enough calories to support their body and euthanasia should be considered.
4. Persistent Bleeding or Infection – Frequent oral bleeding can lead to distress and repeated infections that do not respond or respond only briefly to treatment can significantly impact a cat’s quality of life.
5. Loss of Interest in Daily Activities – If the cat no longer engages in grooming, playing, or socializing, it may indicate poor well-being.
6. Failure to Respond to Palliative Care – If supportive measures no longer provide relief, euthanasia may be appropriate.
7. More good days than bad – I highly recommend keeping a simple daily diary. A smiley face is a good day and a frowny face is a bad day. When the frowns are starting to outnumber the smiles is a compassionate time to make a decision. I also recommend taking our quality of life quiz (https://pawsatpeace.com/quality-of-life-scale/) which can be taken repeatedly to help you assess your cat’s quality of life and monitor trends over time.

Conclusion

Oral tumors in cats can be extremely challenging and you can feel helpless to help. Every case is different and what’s right for your family and your pet is different for every pet. If you would like more guidance, schedule a 45 minute teleconsult with one of our compassionate veterinarians who can review your pet’s medical records and history and help you formulate the most compassionate and loving plan for your family.