From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2002-11-11 02:44:52 UTC
Subject: RE: swollen eye lid - please help
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <11617833.1036982692735.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Author wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> I'm posting for a friend who has asked if anyone here can help.
> His ferret is a male, apx. 8yrs old, originally diagnosed by a vet who
> admittedly is not ferret knowledgeable but willing to try (my friend was on
> vacation and had the ferret with him out of town). The symptoms were
> swelling of the "2nd eyelid", the eye looking as if it were pushing outward,
> and some reddening. The diagnosis was a cut cornea, possibly by a cagemate.
> The treatment was some sort of topical antibiotic.
> 3 weeks later, and now seen by his regular vet, the diagnosis and treatment
> remained the same and unfortunately so did the symptoms. His regular vet
> added cortisone to the regimen but after almost 2 weeks of the antibiotic and
> cortisone treatment, the symptoms are still the same.
> The poor little guy hates getting the medicine in his eye and that "2nd
> eyelid" still looks terrible.
Dear Yvon:
A couple of items on this one. To start with, the term 2nd eyelid doesn't mean anything to me, while the term "3rd eyelid" does - it refers to the nictitating membrane, which is normal retracted down in the corner of the eye at the nose. I'm wondering if this is the case here.
However, if there is no improvement over a month - this becomes a surgical case. The eyelids are the site of a number of tumors, which at this point, should be biopsied. The eyelids are a site of predilection for nerve sheath tumors (a unique finding in the ferret), or they may be the site of other skin tumors. They may also be the site of chronic infections (chalazions). The key to all of these is that there is vey little wiggle room when operating on the eyelid - unlike most areas of the skin - there isn't a lot of extra skin with which to close a surgical defect.
If this is the third eyelid - they are not as prone to infection, but may also give rise to tumors of the tear glands or even squamous cell carcinoma.
Bottom line- let's stop pussyfooting around and get this biopsied - it is likely a tumor at this point, but if it is an infection - that's news we need to know as well.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM