Message Number: YG5235 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-07-06 09:09:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Growth on face

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "ahinton" <ahinton@s...> wrote:
> My 5 year old male has a growth on the side of his face (near where
the whiskers grow out). Over the last few weeks it was a small,
round pink bump. It has grown somewhat and is now about the size of
1/3 of a pencil eraser. It has also changed color from pinkish to
dark red/rust color.
>
> The vet who looked at him about a week ago (before it changed
color) didn't seem that concerned given the fact he was having bigger
problems like possible stomach ulcers and weight loss. Those other
symptoms have improved and he's gaining weight, but this bump thing
hasn't gone away.
>
> He has had mast cell tumors in the past, on his back mainly, which
got red and sometimes bled, then fell off. He's never needed any
surgery.
>
> Are most growths on the body benign? Can I expect that this will
just go away with time?
> The good news is, it doesn't seem to bother him, he doesn't scratch
at it, and he doesn't react if I touch his face. I don't think it
hurts him at all.


Dear Alisa:

Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words! But, this does
sound very much like a sebaceous epithelioma, the most common benign
tumor of ferret skin. (There are some pictures in the file secion of
some rather large sebaceous epitheliomas.) While they are benign,
they can extremely rarely give rise to malignant tumors, so
eventually, we need to have this removed.



With kindest regards,

Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
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