From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2002-02-13 13:24:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] quark's adrenal
On Mon, 11 Feb 2002 15:34:25 -0800 (PST)
Anais <anaisdog@y...> wrote:
> My ferret Quark came back just now but I know very
> little about the surgery yet, including which gland
> was taken out. I assume it's the left. My concern is
> the Dr. wrote me that the adrenal gland was the
> largest she'd ever seen and it may be cancerous and
> wants to send it out for a biospy. if he's 7 already,
> though active, what treatments for cancer can be done
> for him?
Hi, Becky,
All the usual disclaimers apply: I am not a vet, just a ferret owner who has seen way too many adrenal surgeries and has discussed and dealt with this issue at length.
Chances are Quark will be just fine and no special treatment will be needed at all. I have had four ferrets who have had adenocarcinomas (malignant tumors) found when they had their adrenal surgery. Metastasis of these tumors is very rare indeed from all my vet has told me. Three of the four are doing very well as much as two years after surgery, and we have every reason to believe they will be fine for years to come.
One, Ryo-Ohki, was put down recently after my vet found additional tumors in her kidneys, liver, and lymph nodes. Biopsies were done but I haven't seen the pathology results yet, so I can't say for sure yet if the adrenal carcinoma actually metastasized or if some other disease (i.e.: lymphoma) was responsible. My vet, who is very experienced and sees lots and lots of ferrets, has seen just a few cases of true metastasis from adrenal carcinomas, and they were devastating.
So... is it possible that Quark will have problems in the future? Yes, but it's quite unlikely.
All the best,
Caity and the notorious nine