From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2003-01-18 18:53:32 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] :o( 4 month old passing
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <1952.192.168.132.34.1042916012.squirrel@webmail.seaconinc.com>
> she didn't find any phyiscal signs of abnormalities. Even the
> lymphnodes looked good, as I thought, juvenile lymphoma. Xander
> weighed 2 lbs. and was in excellent health from the day I got him.
I am so sorry for you. It's so hard to lose one so young and
apparently healthy. Please let us know what you find out, if you are
able.
Juvenile lymphoma can be spotted in the lymph nodes, but it is really
a diease of the circulating lymphatic cells, specifically lymphoblasts
in this form. It's so deadly because it attacks *other* organs,
especially the spleen and liver, often replacing the native tissue.
It also often builds a mass in the center of the chest (the
mediastinum), gradually squeezing out the lungs. If your vet did not
see any of these changes, this may not be what you are dealing with.
On the other hand, something that kills so quickly may not have time
to make visible structural changes anyway. Dr. Williams will be able
to tell you much more with a microscopic exam of the tissues.
I'm not a vet, I simply learned all about this one the hard way.
roger & the wolverine wannabees
missing bear (the JL boy)