From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-26 23:20:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Mable's Jaw and possible tumors
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., petsgalor9@a... wrote:
> Hello everyone. I just signed up for this list and am really glad
to be a
> part of it. A very good friend suggested that I join. We have 15
ferrets at
> the moment and have had them for 8 years.
>
> One of my rescue ferrets, Mable, who is 6 yrs. old has developed a
small
> tumor under her right lower jaw in the soft part and now has
another right on
> her lower jaw. My vet examined her briefly and he had hoped it was
an
> absess. He had tried to look in her mouth but Mable used to be a
bad biter
> and she would have no part of it. He put her on Clavamox in hopes
that it
> was an infection and would go away. It hasn't. She is in no pain
and it
> doesn't hurt her to touch them. She eats and acts just like she
always has.
> Because they haven't gone away, she is scheduled for surgery on
Wed., May 30,
> to see what they are.
>
> I would appreciate any ideas that anyone might have if they have
experienced
> this before. Mable is very precious to me, as are all of them and
I am very
> concerned about this whole thing.
Dear Pat - Some images would be very useful, as I do not get a good
feels as to where the tumors are located, their size, etc. There are
a number of structures associated with the mandible which might be
affected - some are benign, some are malignant, but I don't think
that Mable would be well-served simply to list several possibilities
without basic information to allow me to make a legitimate
assessment. \
My suggestion is that as there are a number of malignancies that may
appear in or around the lower jaw, so make sure that a good set of X-
rays and a biopsy of each site is taken on Wednesday.
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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