From:
coyote@macrophile.com
Date: 2003-10-06 02:50:18 UTC
Subject: Photos Uploaded to New Album- Warning! Graphic!
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2561470.1065408618715.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I have just created a new photo album and uploaded pics of the necropsy of my ferret Flash. I hope that they may somehow help someone somewhere in the future.
***BE WARNED- THE PICS ARE VERY GRAPHIC AND SOME MAY FIND THEM DISTURBING***
Here is the little bit of info that we have about this ferret. She was 3+ years old when she was dumped in a box on the doorstep of a Petco with a male companion in late 2001. Both ferrets were MF and showing adrenal symptoms. Both tested ADV- via POCT. The male was immediately treated, survived, but has since passed away. Flash came to stay with me as a foster.
Additional interesting but probably not related notes about Flash: her face was slightly twisted so that her jaw was slightly askew; she had a cataract in her left eye and was blind on that side; her right eye was enlarged and seemed to protrude, whether due to compensating for the blind eye or due to her twisted face no one could guess; in personality, she was a kissy sweet-heart who liked to climb up to sit on my shoulder.
On June 20th of this year, Flash received her distemper shot. At the time, I asked my vet to evaluate her for adrenal surgery or lupron. He palpated her abdomen and looked her over and said that he felt she would do fine with surgery.
On July 16th, a rabies shot was given. Nothing out of the ordinary noted.
In September, I made arrangements to bring Flash in for surgery or lupron, depending on the exam on that day. However, before I could get the time off from work to take her in, I felt a mass on her left side. I figured it to be the adrenal gland gone insane (it hadn't been there before) or perhaps a spleenic tumor. I made an appointment the next day, October 1st. Flash was just as kissy and cheerful as ever, eating well, drinking well and showing no signs of anything beyond hair loss, not even a swollen vulva. She was approx. 5+ years old.
My vet felt the mass and suspected spleenic tumor but also had concerns there was more. He was right. Once anesthetized, more lumps could be seen pressing against her sides, both right and left. Her belly was bluish and 'vascular'-looking. Her nose and gums were pale. The first incision revealed blood filling her abdomen: something had ruptured. The decision was made to euthanize her.
The necropsy was astounding. The mass on the left side was one of 3 superball-sized, very ugly, tumors. Additional tumors filled her spleen and liver and just about everywhere except her gastrointestinal tract. There was even evidence on her lungs. We identified 2 lymph nodes, one of which was hugely enlarged. Oddly, the right adrenal was apparently not affected. There was no identifying if the left was clean or was one of the masses. It was just that confusing. It was dubbed 'the worst case of metastatic cancer' anyone had seen. Samples have been sent off to Dr. Williams, to do with as he pleases. As I said, the pics are being posted here should they be able to help anyone, or even just for the curious.
That's it. That's the whole sad tale. I regret most that I did not get to say good-by. I fully expected her to wake up later, minus an adrenal or two and maybe her spleen.
Anastasia