From:
kym@ferretmommy.com
Date: 2003-05-03 05:43:34 UTC
Subject: RE: Swollen Lymph Nodes
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6725640.1051940614803.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Hi Sunni,
Back in my earlier days of ferret ownership, I was going to a vet who wasn't all that experienced in ferrets but he really was trying, and read everything he could. I can't tell you how many times he told me that my ferrets had swollen lymph nodes and put me in a panic about lymphoma. We'd do a needle aspirate biopsy of the glands and it would always turn out to be fat. I think it took about 10 ferrets before he realized: fat ferrets tend to have fat deposits in the areas of lymph nodes. It's nothing to worry about IF that's what's wrong. But you mentioned that your ferret is overweight (3 pounds is a BIG girl! :)), so that would be a likely explanation.
As for doing a biopsy - first things first - a needle aspirate. That's a simple procedure. Unless the vets on this list can suggest why not to do that first, I'd say that's the way to go.
As for a 2nd opinion - that's never a bad idea. No matter how many of us on this list reply to you, none of us is seeing your ferret and I for one am not a vet. And yeah - I'd say it is definitely a red flag that your vet saw your ferret that many times and never noticed it was a girl... Regardless, I wanted to jump in here and at least help you to feel less scared - there definitely are other reasons this could be the case, and it's fairly common. :)
Good luck!
Kym
Author wrote:
> Yesterday my ferrets (I have three), were all anesthetized to have ID microchips implanted in their shoulders. When I picked them up yesterday afternoon, the receptionist asked me to wait because the vet wanted to talk to me. Madeline, my oldest, at 22 months old, has swollen lymph nodes.