Message Number: YG7967 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Mike Janke
Date: 2001-10-16 23:30:00 UTC
Subject: Re: skin tumors - alternative treatments

Always have these removed and pathology done on the tumor. While
mast cell tumors seem somewhat common and usually benign in ferrets,
it may be something else.

When I hear one of these stories I always go back to a small tumor
that looked for all the world to be a mast cell tumor on Max's head.
I had it removed and pathology done on it. It's been a number of
years so I don't recall exactly what it was, but I'll never forget
the way my vet sounded when he told me what type of very nasty
malignancy it was. It was removed soon enough and they got it all,
so there was no reoccurance, but had I waited because it was "only a
mast cell tumor," things could have been much worse.

It's not worth guessing or waiting. Just have it removed.


--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "ahinton" <ahinton@s...> wrote:
> My 5 year old has had two tumors (which I imagine are mast cells)
for weeks now. One seemed to grow and then flattened out and almost
looks dimpled. The hair on his head doesn't grow on this area
anymore. How do you know when to get a biopsy for something like
that? If it were malignant, would there be other signs like loss of
appetite or other symptoms?