Message Number: YG12405 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Diane Burman
Date: 2002-04-10 07:23:00 UTC
Subject: Strange red mark on ferret's abdomen - any ideas?


Last night I noticed a strange reddish-brown mark on one of
my ferrets. Attached are three pictures that will hopefully
give you a better idea of what it looks like. It is located
just below the ribs in the area I would refer to as the
solar plexus if she were human. It is round, maybe a tiny
bit bigger then the end of a pencil eraser and has a little
tuft of hair in the center. It is not raised nor does it
appear scabby or scaley. It doesn't seem to bother her and
she doesn't appear to be scratching it. She is acting
perfectly fine - no apparent change in behavior or habits.
Could this be a mast cell tumor? I've seen mast cell tumors
before on other ferrets but none of them looked like this. I
made an appointment first thing this morning to get her in
to the vet's but unfortunately he won't be seeing her until
the 19th. Do you think she will be okay waiting until then
or should I push to get her seen ASAP? I'm looking for
information that I can take with me so that I will be better
prepared for what he might say. I'm guessing that whatever
it might be, it should come off and be biopsied, right?

By the way, Neve is a well nourished (in other words,
slightly chubby) petite rescue of unknown age but probably
5-6yo. She is healthy - no known health issues. She has been
in my care for 3 years now and has been the picture of
health the whole time. The only problem she has ever had was
a mild reaction to her rabies vaccination just about a year
ago. She has no tattooes and her original owner reported
that she had been a breeder ferret at the U of NC, part of a
research colony. I have no idea how accurate that info is
though.

Thank you in advance of any input you might have!
Diane & the gang

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