From:
mysticswords@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-11-11 18:47:47 UTC
Subject: Lymphoma?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <12053597.1100199499084.JavaMail.nobody@chromium.smartgroups.com>
OK, first a little background.
I have worked as an Assistant/Technician at an animal hospital for 3 1/2 years now,
and have taken my ferrets to one of the Doctors there the entire time. She is not
very experienced with ferrets, but is very willing to learn, and allows me to have a
lot of input on treatment options. More importantly, I trust her. (I DO NOT trust the
other more experienced ferret vet!) She has learned to do ferret surgery on my
personal ferrets, which shows how much I trust her!!
Now to the problem: Yesterday morning, one of my ferrets, a sprite between 3-5
years old (we aren't sure exactly), suddenly developed a hard, swollen lymph node
on her right rear leg. By the time I took her in that afternoon, it had grown larger,
and her other three peripheral nodes were also noticeably swollen. She has not
been acting sick, is not running a fever, and is basically acting completely normal.
Because there are several lymph nodes involved, and no other symptoms, Dr. is
fairly sure that it could only be lymphoma. She is reluctant to put her under
anesthesia to do a biopsy, when it will only confirm what we already know. I am
currently researching chemo protocols that may work. She has also been started on
oral Pred. 3mg/mL at 0.5 mL BID.
I am reluctant to go ahead with chemo without a definite diagnosis. I don't want to
sound like I'm questioning her judgment, but are swollen lymph nodes enough to
diagnose lympho? Would a fine needle aspirate be useful as a diagnostic tool? Also,
have there been any new breakthroughs in chemo protocols recently, which may not
have been written up in the literature?
I am very worried about my little Twizzle-butt, especially because this showed up so
quickly.
Thank you for any input you may have.
Becky and Twizzler (I'm fine, Mommy, see, watch me dance!!)