From:
motorcityferrets@hotmail.com
Date: 2002-09-19 21:13:42 UTC
Subject: RE: tumor on tongue
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <33078616.1032470022899.JavaMail.root@scandium>
> Dear Motor City:
> Personally, I don't know if I have seen this type of tumor before, so it certainly has flagged my interest. Perhaps your vet has seen it in an animal other than a ferret.
> Have you discussed insulinoma surgery with your vet, at which time you can at least biopsy the thing and find out what it is. While a picture would be more helpful, I am starting from the assumption that it is not interfering with function, as is likely benign in nature, possibly a papilloma.
> Surgery is generally of more benefit in cases of insulinoma which are not initially responding to prednsione.
> With kindest regards,
> Bruce Williams, DVM
>
>
if he would kindly open his mouth and hold the position for me i'd be happy to send a photo; of course he hasn't been so accomodating. my vet was speaking of experience in ferrets and has seen similiar mouth growths, although i don't think that means a growth exactly like this one. i'm not sure exactly what you mean "not interfering with function." of course he can eat - it's not that big - but it is interfering with his happiness and i have a strong feeling that pain is why he stopped eating since he can't help but chew on the growth.
as for snipping off that tumor i'd like to, but first he needs to get back to speed on solid chow and so forth. the growth is smooth and the same color as the tongue, with no sign of infection. however, it does get red after he's been chewing on it (of course). i can't get in to measure, so i'll describe best i can: the growth is growing from the exact center of the tongue. it's width is half the width of the tongue. the height is twice the width; tall enough to flop over to one side and get in between the grinder teeth.
i've had one other ferret with a mouth growth before. removal was successful in that case. the growth was the same color as the gum tissue and growing up behind the bottom nibbler teeth. another local shelter had a critter some years ago with a mouth growth that quickly grew in size and continued down her throat. so...???
more history: this critter has had insulinoma for quite some time, untreated. the owner described seizures dating back to several months ago. right now i believe he's down most of all because he's not eating. you know how fast they can rocket downhill in the short time it takes to determine they're off chow i'm sure! :) anyway, we're a modest shelter and therefore can't do all the procedures we'd like to...so insulinoma surgeries are usually out. he's 7, by the way, which helps solidify our decision. much as i'd like to offer him any treatment possible, we just can't do everything.
by the way: i brought up professor's lump some weeks ago. he had a distinctly blue lump of appreciable size located under a nipple in the abdomen, just to the side of the penis. you mentioned you'd like to take a look at the tumor should the owner decide on removal. unfortunately professor died suddenly while mom was still deciding. autopsy showed damage probably due to enteritis but no specific cause of death. doc was in a hurry when we were speaking about the lump so instead of a long explanation he just handed it to me in a specimen jar as per my request. :) would you like to take a look at it? i have a photo of the tumor pre-mortem in the abdomen and the walnut sized lump preserved. obviously no help to professor at this point but if you would like to take a look i'd be happy to send it to you. :)