From:
DeMilia
Date: 2001-02-26 07:24:00 UTC
Subject: skin lymphoma?
I have a 7 1/2 year old girl named Tish who recently went in for surgery to remove a tumor
on her left hindquarter. We got the biopsy results the other day and the lab said it was
a skin lymphoma. Let me first add in here that she has no skin tumors before I continue.
The vet said that what we need to do is keep watching for other enlarged lymph nodes and
remove them when they become enlarged and that prednisolone should be effective. He
sounded very positive about her being able to survive the disease with this therapy.
Tish already has her two lymph nodes under her cheeks getting fairly well swollen (not
impeding her eating yet), I think they are the submandibular nodes. I also feel the node
on her right hindquarter and the nodes under her "armpits" are also slightly swollen. I
have received an e-mail from a prominent ferret vet stating that she doubts this is skin
lymphoma and that I should have a second opinion on the pathology. I am bringing Tish in
tomorrow because I am concerned about how quickly the nodes under her cheeks are
swelling. My vet is very much pro surgery and I know that he will suggest having them
removed. Should I go ahead and put her through the surgery for this and continue removing
nodes as I find them enlarged? Should I give her the prednisolone or would it be wiser to
start her on chemotherapy? I will ask for a second opinion on the pathology, should I
wait for the results before making any of these decisions? Tish is showing no symptoms of
lymphoma other than the enlarged nodes and she is an otherwise healthy and quite active
ferret for her age. I appreciate any help you can give me with this.
Thanks,
Michelle