Last week, there were reports that an alligator that has for years been one of the attractions at the Nairobi National Museum Snake Park is terminally ill.
A curator at the park linked the illness to old age and said they suspect that the reptile could be having cancer.
Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.
The disease though common in humans can also be found in animals and symptoms are often similar to those exhibited in human such as lethargy, unexplained weight loss, reluctance to exercise and abnormal swellings.
Other signs might include difficulty in breathing, difficulty in eating, non-healing wounds and bleeding from the mouth, nose or other body openings.
Experts say the disease in animals affects molluscs, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Some species develop cancers very similar to humans, while others are affected by a rare, contagious form of the disease.
Even though little is known about some specific cancers in animals, just like in humans, development in animals is a complex process that proceeds gradually through the interaction of multiple factors.
According to PET MD, an online journal, nearly all cases cancer are typically caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences, many of which may have occurred years before the diagnosis was made.
In dogs and cats for instance, genetic mutations that cause cancer can occur in the reproductive cells of male and female animals.
As a result, and mutations can be passed on to puppies and kittens, giving rise to a heritable predisposition to different types of tumours.
The experts link the mutations to internal factors, such as exposure to naturally occurring hormones, or external factors, such as environmental tobacco smoke, chemicals, or even sunlight.
Similarly, nutrition, hormones, viruses, and carcinogens such as smoke, pesticides, UV light, asbestos, waste incinerators, polluted sites, radioactive waste, and canned foods can increase the risk of cancer in pets.
In case of cats, carcinogens present in cigarette smoke will be passively deposited on the fur of the cats, and when cats groom themselves, they inadvertently ingest these particles, which can lead to tumour development within the oral cavity.
Experts recommend that pet owners should minimise their pets’ exposure to herbicides and pesticides as they might be linked to cancer in animals.