From:
kath0524
Date: 2002-06-29 04:57:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Cancer Treatments
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "oxbowindustries"
<oxbowindustries@y...> wrote:
> Hi can someone answer my post (#14187) about cancer treatments? I
> really need to know more.
First of all, you don't even know if you're dealing with cancer.
The biopsy is the first step. That will be the only way to
definitively diagnose it.
My Lily underwent chemo for lymphoma a few years ago. We used the
protocol in Dr. Karen Purcell's book, Essentials of Ferrets: A Guide
for Practitioners.
The treatment was expensive and intense. Lily made weekly visits at
first. Bloodwork (CBC) had to be done prior to the chemo each time
it was an IV-administered drug. She had to stay all day with the IV
drugs. There were some drugs that were just given IM and that was a
quick trip. I think she was also on prednisone at the same time she
was undergoing chemo. I believe the treatment ran probably $400-500
per month, on average.
As for side effects, there were really none. Occasionally, a
particular drug would tire her for a couple of days but there were
none of the side effects we normally associate with chemo.
Would I do it again? I can't say for sure. You have to weigh the
stress and intensity of the treatments (and very frequent trips to
the vet) against the quality of life.
Look in the archives for this list. I'm sure there's quite a bit
about lymphoma.
My experience with lymphoma (I've lost 3 ferrets to it) is that you
need to act quickly. It kills quickly if left untreated. The more
advanced, the less chance of success with any treatment.
Katharine