Message Number: SG3178 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 03:20:51 +0000 (GMT+00:00)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: RE: Swollen Neck
Message-ID: <6207603.1044415251009.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Author wrote:
> Hi everyone, well I got my Bria into the vet and it is not good news. He
> aspirated the swelling to see if anything would come out and the needle just
> filled with blood. I guess this is some type of cancer he said and said that
> there is not much we can do for her other than to not let her suffer.
Dear Tina:
This isn't adding up - a needle full of blood from a rapid swelling is not a bad thing - it could be a hematoma, a mucocele from a ruptured salivary gland, or something else. Cancer is usually a solid mass, and there is very little blood. I'd ask the vet what they saw under the microscope that led to a diagnosis of "cancer".
What about excising the mass and getting a pathologist to look at it...
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.