From:
Melissa Litwicki
Date: 2002-10-04 19:19:13 UTC
Subject: splenectomy and insulinoma removal surgery questions
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Pine.BSO.4.44.0210041509440.8104-100000@naughty.monkey.org>
Hello,
My Puff had surgery yesterday to remove her spleen, a 1" mass attached to
the spleen, and an insulinoma. I have skimmed the archives in order to
answer some questions for myself, and ended up with a few more questions
instead.
First of all, it seems like it takes 3-4 days before splenectomy patients
really start to be chipper again. Puff is currently in a hospital cage to
enforce inactivity, but she is obviously in a lot of discomfort
(trembling, teeth grinding). Is 3-4 days a reasonable time frame for
their general 'attitude' recovery? And when is it safe to stop restricting
normal activity?
Second, it seems that 40%-60% of ferrets recover completely and have no
recurrence of insulinoma after surgery, if the insulinoma is caught early.
Is that correct or was I reading misleading statistics?
Third, the vet said she felt a small lump in the pancreas that could have
been an insulinoma but was near the pancreatic duct, so she did not
attempt to remove it. Is that a reasonable statement to make? I'm not an
expert on the ferret pancreas. :)
Fourth, if the insulinoma does recur, how much has the usage of
doxorubricin increased with ferrets, and what is the ease of acquiring it?
My vet has had zero luck getting diazoxide in the past year. I'd like to
try something other than pred for once. I'm glad to say that cost isn't
an issue in this case.
Puff is 6yo, of unknown origin, and has been dropping weight recently. I'm
hoping that the pathology report on the 1" mass comes back and states it's
not malignant, thus rendering most of the above questions moot. :/
Thanks,
Melissa
End of ferrethealth Digest
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