From:
Betty
Date: 2001-03-14 01:54:00 UTC
Subject: Question about Lymphoma in groups
I am curious to know if any new information has come out about the idea
that lymphoma in a household puts other ferrets at risk of getting it
too.
In my home, I adopted Spaz in January of 2000 who had cutaneous
lymphosarcoma when he arrived and we are still dealing with it at
present. Mid June of 2000, I had a female named Bear have lymphoma in
which only the lymph nodes in her neck area were affected. She died
during chemotherapy, which was working, but due to complications of
contracting a cold. Another female named Bella has been recently
diagnosed with lymphoma through a biopsy done of her lymph nodes under
her jaw. We are not treating her with anything at this point and time as
she seems to be doing fine. These ferrets did not sleep with each other,
and the ferrets they do sleep with are all healthy at this point and
time. There are 19 all told in my home and they sleep everywhere and
anywhere.
Although I feel there is no real risk of the spread of lymphoma in my
home and that each case has been isolated, but since there was some
mention of it on Dr. Williams' site that it hasn't been entirely ruled
out, I'm wondering what specifically I should be watching for if
anything.
Also, it is a question that is coming up more and more at our shelter
and I really don't know how to answer this...
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
for the love of ferrets...