Message Number: SG7515 | New FHL Archives Search
From: williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2004-01-19 17:04:04 UTC
Subject: RE: chordoma
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <752129.1074531844521.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>

Dear Natasha:

A tail tip chordoma is not a surgical emergecny, as these tumors tend to infiltrate locally, rather than metastasize. However, they do infiltrate bone, which is a painful process. It very well may be adding to his discomfort.

With kindest regards,

Bruce Williams, DVM

Author wrote:
> Looks like my 5 1/2 year old boy Carter has a chordoma on the tip of his
> tail. Unfortunately, he is also recovering from an anal remnant cyst
> removal and a subsequent, rather virulent cellulitis. He is going to be on
> clavamox for a while (as in a few more weeks -- his poor rear looks awful
> and he acts uncomfortable which I know he must be), and our vet bill is way
> back up there to the point that we can't afford more surgery at the moment.
> I want to make sure so I don't make a bad judgment here, so I'm asking just
> to make sure -- from what I understand a tumor on the tip of the tail is
> almost always chordoma (it's round and right there on the tip, like the
> others I've dealt with) and is not a major emergency requiring immediate
> surgery. Is it safe to wait 8-10 weeks before removing this thing? It's
> pretty small right now. I just noticed it tonight.
> I know nobody can predict the future with certainty -- I'm just looking for
> opinions here. :-)
> -Natasha