Malignancy or cancer refers to any disease that results in abnormal cell growth with the potential of spreading to other parts of the body.
Cats are prone to various types of malignancy including Feline Leukemia Virus, Squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, lymphoma, and mammary cancer.
For several decades now there has been information that ascorbic acid or vitamin C can help in treating not only cancer but also colds and urinary tract infection. We have already covered the case of ascorbic acid and colds as well as urinary tract infection.
Will supplementation help?
Vitamin C has many functions, some of them is being an antioxidant and in boosting immunity. Therefore, it can help in reducing the risks of these pets developing malignancy since it is one of the cancer-fighting vitamins.
However, since these pets can make their own ascorbic acid, they do not require any added in diets or supplemented unless they have underlying conditions that may necessitate supplementation such as liver disease.
Secondly, since this malignancy often results in oxidative damage as Petmd.com puts it, supplementation of this powerful antioxidant vitamin can help manage the oxidative damage of cells caused by therapies for treating cancer or the malignancy itself.
Oxidative damage occurs when there are more free radicals being generated than the body can counteract the damaging effect they cause.
Thirdly, if these pets are injected with high doses of ascorbic acid, it may help. Health Pets by Mercola suggest that it can help kill cancer cells. This is because of its higher concentration in the blood means more will reach cells. Also, Dr, Tom Schell, a veterinarian researcher and head of Nouvelle Research Inc., concurs.
Finally, being an antioxidant, ascorbic acid may also help reduce any resultant inflammation during treatment of the various tumors.
Conclusion
Your vet will evaluate your pet before deciding on whether your cats needs vitamin C supplemented or not. If yours is a candidate, your vet may recommend intravenous, tablets, gels or liquid vitamin C for cats, and so on.
Note that if your feline friend is predisposed to urinary stones or crystals, he or she may not be given ascorbic acid.