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Paws & Claws

Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas. She lives in Blacksburg now, and answers local pet owners' questions every week in The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com.

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Q Recently my lovely 12-year-old spayed female cat developed a large swelling on her back. This was surgically removed and found to be a malignant tumor probably associated with vaccination. Before the sutures were removed the growth had started to return and I have regretfully had her put to sleep. I am reluctant to have my other cats vaccinated in case this happens again.

A Cancer arising after cat vaccination has been seen as a risk for some time. Identification of postvaccination cancer, technically a sarcoma or malignant connective tissue cancer, has been noted after a vaccine-induced inflammatory reaction in some cats. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported an increase in tumor incidence after a 1987 law requiring all cats to be vaccinated against rabies in that state. One theory is that the aluminum compounds used in certain vaccines cause an immunologic reaction in some cats that leads to tissue damage and cancer. The actual incidence of this type of reaction is low. Of 46,500 cases submitted to a Salt Lake City laboratories, only 176 were positive, less than 2 percent of the cases examined. The risk is small, less than one or two of every 10,000 cats vaccinated. I know that this is of little comfort to you, but there is convincing proof that the risk of disease and death is much higher in unvaccinated cats than the risk of developing a vaccine-induced tumor. The problem of vaccine-associated sarcoma is real, but feline vaccinations should not be avoided because of it.

Q My grandchildren have a sandbox, and it seems as if the local cats are using it as a bathroom. Is there any risk to the children, and do you have a solution?

A The obvious solution is to get rid of the sandbox because most cats think it is the ideal litter box. Covered sandboxes are available but require vigilance to make sure it is covered immediately after use and also that the cats do not join the children in the sandbox. Unfortunately, cats that have not been wormed will shed infective roundworm eggs in their feces, and people can become infected by ingestion of contaminated sand or dirt. Virtually all kittens will have roundworms, spread from the mother cat to the kittens in her milk. Larvae that have remained dormant in the adult cat become activated and migrate to the mammary glands when she becomes pregnant and are passed to the kittens at nursing. The eggs of Toxocara cati, the cat roundworm, can persist in the environment for years. It is important to prevent small children, who are most at risk, from playing in areas that cats frequent -- not only the sandbox, but also flower or vegetable beds that are often used as latrines by outdoor cats. All kittens and puppies should be routinely wormed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age.

Q My young Abyssinian cat has severe inflammation of the gums. My veterinarian has tried a number of treatments, but it keeps coming back. Is it because it is a pedigree cat?

A The cause of severe gum inflammation called gingivitis or stomatitis is not known. It may be due to an immunity problem, and a calicivirus has frequently been isolated from these mouth lesions. It is possible that the cause of this chronic disease may be related to a persistent calicivirus infection. Kittens are exposed to calicivirus at a young age, especially when raised in a cattery or multicat household, because the adult cats can remain carriers of the virus. During severe inflammatory episodes, steroids and antibiotics provide temporary relief but are not a cure. Many cats grow out of the condition. There is evidence of a genetic or familial tendency for this disease in some breeds, although not Abyssinians in particular. Chronic stomatitis is usually associated with cats from multiple-cat households and catteries.