From:
Ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2003-04-24 01:01:19 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 23 Apr 2003 13:31:55 -0000 Issue 290
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <57.1bad1e3c.2bd8915f@aol.com>
In a message dated 04/23/03 9:32:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
> Has anybody ever had a ferret with a hernia? If so, was it operated on? My
> Willow has a lump (just under 1/2 inch diameter) between the 2 nipples that
> are furthest towards her front legs. The lump seems to be close to the
> skin/ muscle layer, not far into the abdomen. The vet suggested it could
> be
> a hernia and to keep an eye on it? It doesn't hurt Willow when you touch
> the lump. Willow will be 2 years old this summer and was spayed beginning
> of last year.
Unless your vet is certain that it is a hernia, I'd get an aspirate done. I
recently saw a one year old ferret with a similar sounding lump that I
aspirated and removed immediately as the aspirate was very cellular. It
turned out to be a fibrosarcoma, a pretty malignant type of cancer, but since
it was caught early on, the ferret has a good chance to do well.
A needle aspirate is pretty inexpensive, doesn't hurt the ferret and is a
great tool for diagnosis.
Dr. Ruth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find it. Fix it. And fly again.