Message Number: YG11563 | New FHL Archives Search
From: dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-02-27 19:17:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Ashes is scheduled for surgery in the morning.

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., CFERRETTAILS@a... wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Thought I'd see if anyone had a ferret that developed a tumor in
his/her ear,
> and what results you had when surgery was done.
>
> I took Ashes in to have my vet look at his ear Monday, when I
discovered what
> I thought was an infected abscess in his ear. The vet said it was
an
> infected polyps tumor and needed to go in for surgery. So Ashes
heads to
> surgery tomorrow morning. I am worried and also wondering if I
might be
> making a mistake and it could have been just an abscess and if he
had just
> drained it, it would be OK. I just hope he doesn't have to take
part of the
> outside ear.
>

Dear Charlene:
There are a number of neoplasms that ferrets can get in their ears -
any tumor you can get on the skin can pop up in the ear, with a
couple of others that are specific to the ear - including a neoplasm
of the ear wax glands.

If you would like me to look at it, I am more than happy to at no
charge to you (ear tumors are not rare, but they can occasionally be
very interesting.) Please give me a call at 202-782-2392 if you are
interested.

Don't worry about her missing a little piece of ear - better to be
safe than sorry.

Regarding the possibility of an abscess - this is not a common spot
for an abscess, but if you are really concerned, you could always
aspirate it prior to surgery and look at the cells under the scope....
but the ear is really not a common site for an abscess.

With kindest regards,

Bruce Williams, dVM