From:
NCFerretMom@yahoo.com
Date: 2002-12-14 00:57:26 UTC
Subject: Spleen question
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <16612794.1039827446163.JavaMail.root@scandium>
this is actually a followup to an early November question. I am sorry I did not get back sooner, but the message got lost in cyberspace and I didn't have the energy to rewrite it! So, I am trying to include ONLY the appropriate points. This was about Oscar
I wrote:
>Y'all may remember Oscar, my just-turned 4 year old *floppy* >ferret about whom we speculated what may have caused his >problems. We know that he has a very enlarged spleen, but no >other problems of which we are aware. The edges of the spleen >are very rounded and it is really a handful now.
Dr. Williams replied:
>If he is otherwise healthy, it might be a viable time to take >out that spleen - it may result in notceable improvement in >attitude an activity - imagine if you were carrying around a 40 >pound spleen inside you!
My concern is that because of the possible neurological involvement, several vets have suggested that it would be in his best interest to have a very knowledgable ferret surgeon operate on him. I think the anesthesia and possible complications from whatever caused his ataxic walk.
I don't want to deprive him of something he needs, but I also don't want him to die from surgery that is unnecessary. And, there are no guarantees, I know, but to pay the necessarily higher cost for the expert and then lose him would take money that could be spent on other surgeries.
So, this does NOT seem to be my top priority right now, but I do want him to be comfortable.
Thanks for the input.
renee :)