From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-02-01 01:29:20 UTC
Subject: RE: lymphosarcoma and advice
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1706447.1075598960947.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>
Okay, first off, enlarged spleens are very common in older ferrets. How old is he?
How large are the nodes?
An infection can also enlarge both of those in which case tackling the infection is the logical thing to do.
The only way to know is to pull a node and then do a biopsy. Then you will know what you are dealing with.
The approach used for lympho is usually Prednisolone and that can at times give a very hefty chunk of time with quality life (We've personally seen as many as 14 months in ones of our's with Prednisolone, though a few months less is more typical here), but like Fran i am curious about some of the new approaches discussed at the AFA veterinary conference.
Although remission using chemo is rare we have known of one who got about 5 years that way. It seems to work best on those in their prime (about 3 or 4 years old).
So, don't reach any conclusions till you pull a node and have it biopsied by a pathologist who knows ferrets. Then go from there.