From:
<caitlyn@mizuhoradio.com>
Date: 2003-12-02 20:55:49 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] enlarged spleen
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Cc: <lad_jrd@hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <13978.155.226.255.42.1070398549.squirrel@www.mizuhoradio.com>
Hi, Lad,
> Hello. I had a wonderful 5+ yr old male named Rascal who had an
> enlarged spleen, and lived 5 months after diagnosis. I have been
> reading here that many ferrets have enlarged spleens.
It's not uncommon, but of the 10 ferrets we have had only one (Kodo) has had
an enlarged spleen. It's not something every ferret will get.
> Is there
> anything to do about it?
That depends on whether it is enlarged enough to cause a problem for the
ferret or not. Our vet leaves it alone if it doesn't cause a problem and
removes the spleen if it does. Kodo developed this problem at age nine so
surgery was not an option. We found that treatment with antibiotics
(clavamox) causes a short term reduction in the size of the spleen back to
normal levels. (Thanks, Sukie! Great advice!)
> I would love to have another ferret but I am
> so afraid it will die on me again (this was my second one) and I have a
> hard time getting over the pain from losing them.
Ferrets have short lifespans. That is a fact of life. Seven to nine years
is an average, but we lost one at three and a half years old to metastasis
of her adrenal carcinoma and another at age five to liver cancer. We have
two nine year olds who are still with us and still happy. We've had ferrets
we've known make it to 10, 11 or even 13 years old, but they are the very
rare exceptions, not the rule. You have to figure that you are going to
lose any ferret you adopt, almost certainly within a decade. If you can
accept that and love them for their short time on Earth that's great. If
it's too hard I certainly understand. Right now I treasure every day with
Podo and Kodo, our nine year olds.
All the best,
Caity and the ever-playful eight