How many nipples should cats have?

Cat behavior during illness - stages of the disease

The causes of neoplasms in the mammary glands of cats are not fully understood.
However, in most cases, a cause-and-effect relationship can be seen. Neoplasms on the mammary glands in cats can be benign or malignant. In 90% of cases we should talk about malignant tumors and cancer.

A low-quality tumor goes through several stages of development:

Stage 1. The formation is small in size (up to 1 centimeter in diameter). When palpating the glands, there is a sensation of contact with small beads or granules of sugar. There are no changes in the animal’s behavior: appetite is normal, activity is normal, and there is no malaise.
Stage 2. The size of the tumor increases and reaches sizes up to 3 centimeters in diameter. It is very easy to feel and notice during visual inspection. The appearance of similar signs on neighboring glands may be observed. The behavior and well-being of the animal does not change.
Stage 3. The tumor increases significantly and reaches up to 5 centimeters in diameter. An unpleasant odor may begin to emanate from the foci of the disease. When touching neoplasms, the animal experiences discomfort and even pain. The cat's behavior changes, it becomes weaker and apathetic. The animal may also lack appetite and thirst.
Stage 4. The tumor increases in size and becomes covered with ulcers. The formation penetrates into neighboring tissues. The unpleasant odor intensifies. As a rule, at this stage you can notice that pus has begun to flow from the tumor. The cat's condition is painful and lethargic.

One of the signs of the presence of a tumor of various kinds is enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits and groin. However, you should not focus solely on this symptom, since the lymph nodes may retain their normal size.

It is easier to prevent any disease than to treat it. This is especially true for cancer. Unfortunately, there is no reliable and accurate data on how to prevent the development of tumors. It is impossible to guarantee that taking certain actions will give a 100% guarantee that the cat will not develop a tumor.

More than 85% of breast tumors in furry pets are malignant; they tend to grow quickly and metastasize. Just like in humans, in animals it all starts with the discovery of a small lump.

Any attentive owner should be alerted to such characteristic symptoms of the disease as the presence of hard subcutaneous nodes in the abdominal area of the body, visible swelling of the nipples, atypical discharge from them, ulcers on the surface of the skin, as well as fever, loss of appetite and, as a consequence, rapid weight loss, constant weakness and lethargy of the pet.

If you do not show the animal to a veterinarian in time and do not begin treatment, everything can end in its death. There are 4 stages of development of the disease: during the first, small painful lumps appear, the lymph nodes are not yet enlarged; in the second, the tumor becomes denser, up to 3 cm in diameter, the tumor is still operable;

The prognosis for the survival of a sick cat depends on a large number of factors. An approximate prognosis is only possible after a biopsy, and it will be given by a veterinarian. Typically, if the disease is detected and treated at an early stage, the one-year survival rate is about 70%. If cancer is diagnosed at the last stage, the prognosis is less comforting - no more than 5% of all cats with the disease are able to live more than a year.

At present, we can only talk about a number of factors that provoke the development of the disease, since the exact causes are unknown to science. The hormonal background of the animal is important. Sometimes natural and artificial fluctuations occur. The former are satellites of estrous cycles - physiological changes that occur between estrus.

The likelihood of tumor processes increasing with age (cats over 10 years old are at risk), there is also a breed predisposition (Siamese and Oriental cats are more often affected) and heredity. There is a risk of getting sick in animals that have lived for a long time in a dirty environment, received poor quality feed, had a monotonous and poor diet, and therefore have low immunity.

A veterinarian in a good clinic can carry out a correct diagnosis of the disease, where he has at his disposal not only ultrasound, but also such reliable methods as radiography, magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Also, to make a diagnosis, the doctor must use a biopsy or fine-needle aspiration, which in simple words means penetrating into the source of infection for the purpose of conducting a cytological examination.

In order not to further injure the affected tissues or provoke an increase in the number of metastases, the veterinarian must take biopsy material extremely carefully. Since cancer often affects the axillary and inguinal lymph nodes, they should also be examined. A detailed blood test, in particular its biochemical formula, is also very important when making an accurate diagnosis. Based on its results, it is possible to determine the degree of cancer, as well as find out whether the animal has concomitant infections.

There is no specific theory of the origin of cancer; scientists are still struggling with the question of the root cause of oncology.

As for tumors of the cat's milk bags, there are some predisposing factors that contribute to the appearance of abnormal, pathologically altered cells. It is believed that in cats the main cause is the use of hormonal drugs (such as antisex), the purpose of which is to suppress the functioning of the ovaries and block the occurrence of estrus.

Despite the fact that medicine has made significant progress, and scientists are trying to identify the exact causes of cancer, the “causative agent” of cancer has never been identified.

Mammary tumors in cats, according to doctors, develop due to certain predisposing factors that cause pathological changes in cells. One of them is taking hormonal drugs. Products such as Antisex and the like suppress the functioning of the ovaries and block the occurrence of estrus.

Older cats - after 10 years - are at greater risk of developing mammary cancer. But the disease is rapidly getting younger, and today it is difficult to talk about exact age categories. What is known is that cats spayed before their first heat have not yet encountered mammary cancer. If the cat was sterilized after estrus, but did not give birth, the risk of developing malignant tumors is high.

Tumors of the mammary glands of cats do not appear out of nowhere; as a rule, the appearance of a neoplasm already at the stage when the cat’s owners notice it is preceded by several stages - stages of the disease.

So, at the first stage of the disease, the cat’s lymph nodes are not enlarged, but in the area of the mammary gland there is a slight thickening of a soft consistency. The cat, as a rule, reacts very calmly when you touch such a tumor - it simply does not feel it yet.

At the second stage of tumor development, its consistency thickens, however, if the tumor is malignant, metastases have not yet grown.

At the third stage of tumor development, the lymph nodes are also involved in the process of tumor growth - they become larger and begin to increase in size, and the tumor continues to grow. The cat reacts very painfully and aggressively to your attempts to touch the sore spot.

At the fourth stage of tumor development, the size of the tumor is several times larger than the original tumor, the general condition of the cat’s body is characterized as severe exhaustion, and, unfortunately, no one can help your animal, even surgical intervention at this stage can no longer guarantee positive dynamics . You may be offered a course of painkillers or euthanasia of the animal.

Video about tumors in cats

It is impossible to unambiguously determine the cause of tumors in an animal. We can only identify the conditions under which cancer develops. Among the main factors:

genetic inheritance;
reduced immunity;
changes in hormonal levels (this is indicative when using anti-estrus pills);
unhealthy lifestyle, lack of physical activity;
poor nutrition;
injuries (including internal organs);
frequent stressful situations in a pet’s life.

Advanced stages and survival time

Veterinarians, as a rule, refuse to operate on breast cancer in cats in the last stage, since in this case the probability of success is very low. The best thing that can be done here is to allow the pet to live out its allotted time, surrounding the animal with care and love, and then humanely euthanize it, saving it from a painful cancer death. The approach of this sad moment can be tracked by a number of signs:

the tumor rapidly increases in size;
inflammatory process and pain of the neoplasm and adjacent areas;
the cat stops eating, quickly loses weight, lies around a lot, and has limited mobility;
the tumor is opened.

It is usually difficult to say exactly how long a particular animal diagnosed with cancer will live - it depends on many factors, such as age and general condition of the body, the stage of the disease and the rate of its progression, etc. Approximate forecasts regarding how long a cat has left to live can be given by the veterinarian who is seeing her.

At the initial stage of the disease, the cat may not have any specific symptoms, with the exception of small nodules in the abdominal area, which, as a rule, go unnoticed by the owner.

Usually the general condition of the animal changes when the process has gone too far. In this case, the pet will eat poorly, quickly lose weight, and lie more and more in a secluded corner, trying to hide from others.

From the side of the tumor the following is observed:

rapid increase in size;
signs of the inflammatory process;
breaking through ulcers;
bleeding;
soreness.

Just like in humans, cat mammary cancer has several stages. The method of treatment and prognosis for recovery depend on this.

Main stages of the disease:

First stage. Lymph nodes in cats are not changed in size. In the area of the mammary gland there is a small compaction of soft consistency. The animal allows you to touch such a tumor, since it does not yet feel it.
Second stage. The consistency of the tumor becomes denser. But there is no metastasis yet.
Third stage. The lymph nodes become inflamed and increase in size, the tumor also grows. The animal gets angry when they try to touch the tumor, because it hurts even from the most gentle touches.
Fourth stage. This is the last stage of cancer. The cat is emaciated, the tumor has significantly increased in size. In this case, even surgical intervention is not a guarantee of an optimistic prognosis. And not every veterinarian will perform an operation in such a neglected state. Usually painkillers are prescribed, or it is recommended to euthanize the cat.

In the first and second stages, doctors give favorable prognoses. In this case, the tumor can be defeated through surgery or conservative treatment. The third stage is also not a 100% guarantee of death. But the last stage of cancer in cats leaves no hope for recovery.

At the time the disease develops, the cat may not yet show any symptoms. The only thing that will be noticeable is the presence of small nodules in the abdominal area. But the general condition of the animal will change only when the process has already gone too far. The cat will refuse to eat, stop leading an active lifestyle, and will constantly retire to a place where no one touches it. The appearance of the pet will also change - it will rapidly lose weight.

Since the symptoms of cancer are extremely similar to a number of other health problems, owners need to carefully examine their pet. Only in this case will it be possible to understand in time that the cause of the cat’s illness was a tumor.

The following changes in the neoplasm indicate an oncological nature:

Nodules or bumps rapidly increase in size.
Formations are growing.
The development of the inflammatory process is obvious.
Ulcers begin to break out.
Seals cause pain to the animal.
Bleeding begins.

By taking the necessary measures at the initial stage of the disease, you can hope that the cat will live for many more years. Unfortunately, the first stage is most often neglected. Therefore, more than 60% of cats who have had a tumor removed will experience cancer again. No less sad is that breast cancer is a rapid process. Therefore, doctors often predict a fairly short life span for a cat - no more than a year.

It is difficult to say how long cats live during intensive treatment. If pet owners make every effort, the animal can live 2-3 years.

In the video, veterinarians talk about the treatment of mammary cancer and the prognosis for this disease.

The disease may not appear for many years. Its symptoms are as follows:

1. The first sign is the appearance of small dense formations. They are located in the breast area. They do not bother the cat and are not felt during palpation. During this period, it is impossible to determine whether the tumor is malignant or whether it will increase in size or remain within the same boundaries. From the moment a compaction is discovered, it must be monitored.
2. If your pet’s tumor has increased in size and doubled in size in a month, then there is every reason to suspect cancer. The tumor may appear as a thickened rash, which as it grows can increase to the size of a lump.
3. At the next stage, the tumor opens, bleeds and has an unpleasant odor. At this moment, the cat feels pain in the mammary glands.

Animals constantly lick the affected area, which worsens the situation as ulcers occur. Every day the pet feels worse and worse: it loses weight, strength decreases, and chronic diseases become acute.

Main stages of the disease:

1. First. The pet's lymph nodes are not changed in size; in the area of the mammary gland there is a slight compaction of soft consistency. The cat allows you to touch the tumor because it does not feel it.
2. Second. The tumor on the breast is becoming denser, but there are no metastases yet.
3. Third. Lymph nodes increase in size, become inflamed, and the tumor increases. When touching a neoplasm, the animal becomes angry, as it feels pain even from light contact.
4. Fourth. This is the last stage of breast cancer. The pet is exhausted, and the tumor has increased significantly in size. At this stage, even surgical intervention does not predict a favorable outcome. Typically, veterinarians will prescribe pain medications or advise euthanizing the cat.

In the first and second stages, experts give favorable prognoses. The tumor can be eliminated with surgery or conservative therapy. The third stage also does not mean the death of the pet.

If the tumor has burst, it should not be touched, as this could trigger the process of metastasis.

The lifespan of a cat with mammary cancer depends on a huge number of factors. Only a veterinarian can give an approximate prognosis after a biopsy.

When cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage, the one-year survival rate reaches 70%. Only 5% of pets live more than a year from the moment the disease is diagnosed at the last stage.

Why do cats need pacifiers, because they are useless?

In the animal kingdom, if females have nipples, males usually have nipples too, despite the fact that males do not use them in any way. Very rarely there are species in which females have juices, but males do not - these are, for example, rats and horses.

This fact has a simple explanation. Males and females are almost identical in the early stages of embryonic development. As male DNA takes effect, male hormones such as testosterone stop the development of some organs - such as the mammary glands - and stimulate the development of others, including the reproductive organs. Since males do not need mammary glands, most mammals do not develop them.

But nipples in male mammals, including cats and humans, do not stop developing. Why? Because their presence does not cause harmful consequences. If cats had full mammary glands that were never used, maintaining them would be a waste of resources (such as energy). These resources could no longer be used elsewhere in the body, for example by the muscles or the brain. But since nipples require very few resources to support, male DNA is not bothered by blocking their development.

If nipples were resource-intensive organs, male DNA would likely have evolved to block their development, preserving resources needed for the development of other useful organs and abilities. Instead, nipples remain in males, since their removal requires an unjustified complication of the process of formation of the organism.

But nipples in male mammals, including cats and humans, do not stop developing. Why? Because their presence does not cause harmful consequences. If cats had full mammary glands that were never used, maintaining them would be a waste of resources (such as energy). These resources could no longer be used elsewhere in the body, such as by the muscles or the brain. But since nipples require very few resources to support, male DNA is not bothered by blocking their development.

Establishing diagnosis

For any disease, treatment is more effective in the early stages. In the case of breast tumors, this also gives a high chance of survival.

If small hardenings are detected in the mammary glands, you should contact your veterinarian for a more detailed examination. To the touch they may look like grains of sand, grains of sugar or small beads.

Only a specialist knows what breast cancer looks like. Therefore, you should not diagnose your cat yourself by feeling its nodules and bumps. Even a veterinarian, before making his verdict, will have to conduct a series of laboratory tests to find out the nature of the tumors.

The most common and reliable method for diagnosing oncology is tumor biopsy. With its help, the doctor will be able to accurately say whether this tumor is benign or not. This procedure is carried out extremely carefully to minimize the possibility of damage to healthy tissue.

Experienced doctors recommend performing a biopsy of the nearest lymph nodes, which are the “favorite” place for the growth of metastases. If the problem is detected in a timely manner, you can still try to solve it using conservative methods.

For an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will also prescribe:

X-ray and ultrasound. During the examination of the abdominal cavity, the doctor will be able to see whether the animal has metastases in other organs.
Blood and urine analysis.
Sometimes it is recommended to take a puncture of the tumor.

Only after a complete examination will it be possible to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Treatment methods

Most often, a malignant tumor is eliminated surgically by excising the tumor along with a large area of healthy tissue. Lymph nodes are also removed. The surgeon will warn you before the operation that the cat may completely lose its mammary glands, but even in this case, he will not give a 100% guarantee of its complete recovery.

Surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in a cat is a very difficult procedure. And it completely depends on the stage of the disease, on the age of the animal and on its general condition. Many doctors do not see the point in operating on a cat even with the third stage of cancer, as they consider this an unjustified method. Therefore, there is no need to even talk about surgical intervention in the fourth stage.

Doctors give the most optimistic prognoses in case of surgery in the initial stages of the disease. And even if a cat’s mammary gland is completely cut out, it will be able to live for many more years.

After surgery to remove the cancerous tumor, the animal will be given radiation or chemotherapy. This procedure for cats with early stages of the disease can be a lifesaver. If the doctor suggests doing without surgery and performing chemotherapy, it means that the animal’s chances of recovery exceed the risk of cancer developing to other stages.

Just a few years ago, a diagnosis of mammary cancer in a cat meant a death sentence. Currently, the disease can be cured through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Does the number of nipples a cat has depend on the breed?

No such dependence is observed. Cats have lived next to humans for several thousand years. During this time, many breeds of domestic cats were developed. To live in an apartment, owners usually choose medium-sized breeds, smooth-haired or fluffy. All cat breeds should have 8 nipples as a standard. No special breeds have been bred in which the number of nipples is different.

Cats of small breeds have correspondingly small mammary glands. Large breeds also have large nipples.

Postoperative period: animal care

In order for the operation to produce positive results, it is necessary to properly organize postoperative care for the animal:

Create a comfortable environment for your cat so that she can recover from surgery in complete peace.
Feed her only those foods that are recommended by your veterinarian. Leave all the “goodies” and rewards for later.
Treat the wound several times a day and only with the products prescribed by a specialist.
Remember to give your cat medications in exactly prescribed doses and on schedule.
To prevent the seam from coming apart, use a special tightening blanket.

If the animal's condition worsens or its stitches come apart or begin to rot, immediately take the animal to the veterinarian!

In the first few days after surgery, your cat will need to have blood and urine tests taken to understand how the postoperative period is going. In the following months, the doctor recommends that you come to the clinic again for tests to exclude a relapse.

The anatomy and structure of the glands is normal

The papillae are cone-shaped, without hairs, 1-3 mm high. If the animal has thick and long hair, it is difficult to detect the cat’s nipples; for this, palpation is carried out. When a cat becomes pregnant, starting from the 3rd week they grow and swell to 5-8 mm. During feeding, the tubules through which milk flows open. There are from 4 to 8 of them in each nipple. If the kittens do not suck milk, then the sphincters near each individual nipple close the milk outlet. Basically, kittens try to suck on the inguinal glands, since they produce the most milk. The cat feeds the offspring for up to 5 weeks, then milk production gradually fades and the glands decrease. If there are too many babies in the litter and there are not enough nipples, the kitten in need of additional feeding is fed from a jar of formula.

Types and diagnosis of tumors

The tumor is a lump, the size of which varies from a small nodule to a tennis ball. It can be of two types:

Benign (cyst, adenoma) - does not pose a threat to life, but can cause significant inconvenience to the pet if it reaches a large size. It usually has a regular shape, is separated from nearby tissues by a capsule, is located only on one of the glands and grows slowly, without penetrating into nearby tissues, but only moving them. But such compactions require constant monitoring, as they can develop into malignant formations.
Malignant (carcinoma, sarcoma) is a deadly neoplasm that provokes the development of metastases and grows into neighboring tissues and organs. It usually has an irregular shape and a lumpy, nodular surface.

Most often, AMF occurs in unsterilized elderly individuals (over 7 years old), as well as in those who have suffered trauma to the mammary glands or suffer from hormonal imbalances. Moreover, benign formations account for 10-15% of cases, while the rest belong to the malignant category.

A neoplasm can be diagnosed using palpation, x-rays or ultrasound. But its type and nature can only be determined through cytological or histological examination of material taken from the tumor using a syringe. Additionally, a general blood test is taken and other studies are carried out to assess the animal’s health and determine further actions that will be appropriate in a particular case.

Only a specialist can determine breast cancer after conducting a series of laboratory tests. The most common diagnostic method is tumor biopsy. This procedure is carried out carefully to minimize the possibility of damage to healthy tissue. Experienced specialists also advise performing a biopsy of nearby lymph nodes, which are a common site for the development of metastases. If the disease is identified in a timely manner, you can try to cope with conservative treatment methods.

For an accurate diagnosis, a specialist may prescribe:

ultrasound and x-ray (will help to see existing metastases in other organs);
urine and blood analysis;
tumor puncture.

Unprofessional taking of a biopsy can provoke the occurrence of metastases in the pet’s body.

Preventive actions

There is no specific prevention of mammary cancer in cats. Yes, veterinarians advise early sterilization of animals before puberty or during the first two years of life. Even this cannot give an absolute guarantee that the female will not get sick.

Once the cat reaches a critical age (7-10 years), it is recommended to conduct a clinical examination at least once every six months in a veterinary clinic. And the felinologist himself, stroking his pet’s belly every day, must pay close attention to the suddenly formed tubercles that were not there before.

Other preventive measures worth noting:

good care and maintenance;
proper nutrition;
timely treatment of a cat for mastitis and diseases of the genital organs (endometritis, pyometra, etc.);
refusal to use hormones that disrupt the sexual cycle.

Unfortunately, doctors cannot accurately define preventive measures regarding oncology. But you can reduce your cat's risk of developing cancer.

Veterinarians recommend the following:

Sterilize the animal before puberty, or in the first two years of the cat’s life.
Examine the animal daily for the presence of tumors.
Conduct a preventive examination at a veterinary clinic at least once every six months. This is especially true for animals at a critical age - 7-10 years.

In addition, doctors recommend abandoning hormonal drugs to block estrus and false pregnancy, promptly treating the cat for diseases of the genital organs and mastitis, feeding the animal properly and caring for it.

Interesting anatomy features

The formation of papillae occurs during intrauterine development. Normally, their number is the same for all cats, although deviations and anomalies are possible. The type of coat, breed and age of the cat does not affect the number of nipples.

Normally, a cat should have four pairs of mammary glands

The structure and functions of nipples in a cat

Felines have multiple mammary glands. Normally, there should be four pairs of them (although sometimes there are 12 pieces), located from the middle of the chest along the stomach. The papillae are cone shaped. They are not covered with hair and in a healthy, non-pregnant cat they rise above the skin by 1-3 mm. If the pet has thick fur, then the glands are determined by palpation.

When a cat is pregnant or nursing kittens, the nipples protrude 5-8 mm and are clearly visible even through thick fur. Each nipple has 4 to 8 channels through which milk flows while feeding the kittens. Near each papilla there are sphincters of smooth muscle. They prevent milk from leaking out of the glands between feedings.

In cats, nipples are formed in the same number as in cats, despite the fact that they are useless. It is believed that during the intrauterine development of kittens, nipples form before the genitals. Therefore, they are present on the belly of purrs of both sexes.

Similar article: Main symptoms and rules for treating cystitis in cats

Normal location and quantity

Cats have four pairs of mammary glands. Despite the differences in location and number, they perform the function of human breasts - feeding the offspring.

The norm in veterinary medicine is the following arrangement of papillae in cats:

Thoracic department. One pair in the area of the front legs.
Abdominal section. Two pairs with the same or different spacing between them.
Inguinal section. One pair is closer to the cavity near the hind legs. The glands in the inguinal area contain more milk, so kittens usually gravitate towards them rather than the mammary papillae.

The nipple of the mammary gland is intended for feeding the baby. It is interesting that the innervation and nutrition of organs occurs not in pairs, but in rows. On the right side of the body, the row from the chest to the groin is connected by one system of lymph flow, blood supply and nerves, and on the left side - by another system, i.e. the glands have different nutrition. Due to this feature, disorders and diseases often occur on one side.