From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-04-04 19:25:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Infection in new ferret
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "James Higgins" <stillkcn@g...> wrote:
> I just received a new rescue, no name, no information, just left in
a box with a note that said please take care of my ferret. Here are
some pictures of what I found. Can someone please give me some ideas.
I have started it on Albon as that is all I have on hand right now
and will get it to the vet first thing tomorrow but would like an
idea of what to ask her to look for.
>
> You can see the green puss inside the opening.
>
> He seems to be uranating ok but it is discolored with puss and
blood.
>
> The infection is so bad it can be smelled across the room.
>
> The mass is rather hard and does not seem to be causing him any
pain.
> Please e-mail me directly if possible and as soon as you can. If
there is something I can do for him tonight then I want to do it.
One thing that you can do, if it is not painful is clean the sheath
with some warm water and a washcloth. Try to extrude the penis and
see if it is affected. Clean out all of the pus from the opening.
If there is a true mass, then we are looking at a surgical problem.
Neoplasms of the scent glands of the prepuce in male ferrets are not
uncommon. Usually it is difficult to figure out whether the neoplasm
is benign or malignant with microscopic examination, so I would
definitely suggest pathology on this one.
Benign tumors of the prepuce are cured with surgery, malignant ones
however, carry a guarded prognosis as best, as they tend to
metastasize widely to internal lymph nodes and organs.
Other possibilities are a simple preputial infection or perhaps even
a sequelae to adrenal disease, but as you mention there is a mass
lesion there, so the most likely diagnose based on this information
is probably a preputial adenoma.
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
Join the Ferret Health List at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list
Tonight you can clean it, but there is really not a lot else to do
with it tonight.
Thanks JD and the ferret Patrol/Widget's Halfway House