From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-01-01 17:30:04 UTC
Subject: RE: enlarged spleen
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6334813.1072978204057.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>
Although rupture is rare when it happens it is catastrophic. Some survive it but death is common. So, when there is thought to be a risk of rupture we opt for surgery.
Other reasons we have done surgery include that the spleen was so large that it caused problems with other organ systems for example a ferret who began to need massage help passing feces through the transverse colon to the descending colon, a concern about possible malignancy: lumps or uneven margins, anemia, and a general comfort need (a really big spleen on a ferret can be like a human carrying around a 40 pound organ.
Large spleens are common in older ferrets and most here have not been any real problem, but when the surgery is needed it is just plain needed.