Horses, dogs and cats routinely have sun irritation around white areas of their body. It is not uncommon to see "sun burning" around the white blaze of any breed of horse or the white around the eyes of Appaloosa and Paint horses. The same is true for dogs who have a pink nose or white areas on their faces. White cats, in particular, are extremely sensitive to the sun. Oftentimes, veterinarians will recommend white cats be strictly indoors during the day. All of these animals are at risk of being affected by a tumor known as Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), which is thought to be brought on by areas of skin being overexposed to the sun.
The above picture is of a kitty who came into our office several weeks ago. This kitty was diagnosed with SCC of the left ear. This picture was taken after we cleaned the wound. In this picture, you are looking at the cat from behind its head. The tumor is on the back side of the left ear. We have removed the scab that formed on top of the tumor and cleaned the area, therefore, this is not actually what you would see at home. The picture below is previous to the cleaning of the wound and is more likely what one would see at home. I posted this picture because, to a pet owner, this might just look like a wound attained from a cat fight or some other sort of trauma, when in fact a more serious condition lies beneath the scab.
SCC is a tumor with potential to metastasize. Although slowly, it most commonly will metastasize to the chest. Prevention is the key and these tumors are best prevented by reducing or completely eliminating the exposure to sunlight. If a suspected SCC does appear, the right thing to do is to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Early recognition and prompt intervention is the key to a positive outcome.