From:
dbooras@adelphia.net
Date: 2002-09-06 04:22:50 UTC
Subject: Re Cutaneous Lymphoma-Vet Stumped
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <12272197.1031286170476.JavaMail.root@scandium>
It's a frustrating, ugly disease. It took 2 1/2 years to get Cleo diagnosed and without Dr. Bruce Williams' help, I'd probably still be searching for an answer. The vet I use is very ferret knowledgeable, sees lots of ferrets and when I told him that Dr. Williams suggested Cleo might have cutaneous lymphoma, he did a biopsy and sent it out for testing -- twice, because he couldn't believe it.
I've only been in contact with 2 other people who had experience with this disease in their ferret and the nails in all 3 of our ferrets were heavily involved. In fact, Cleo now has no nails at all on her front paws. Coincidentally, all three were also adrenal. I wonder if these conditions are somehow related or if the poor ferrets are just genetically cursed.
Cleo also gets red, flakey patches on her skin, but I've never known if that was a result of adrenal or the lymphoma. It seems to be a very slow progressive disease. I've had Cleo for almost 3 years and when I was asked if I would take her, one of the reasons was because she had "ugly feet" (so she's had it for more than 3 years) and she wouldn't eat. She likes to eat, but only ferret soup, nothing that's hard that she has to chew.
Hope your biopsy comes back negative for lymphoma.