From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2004-05-12 02:49:56 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Cody's Spleen
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <30214280.1084330596665.JavaMail.nobody@strontium.smartgroups.com>
Hi, Lynn and everyone else,
Our Kodo had a hugely enlarged spleen beginning
somewhere around age nine. Our vet said that if he
was a healthy five year old he'd have removed it but
in Kodo's case that simply wasn't an option. The
spleen got so large that it impaired Kodo's mobility
severely.
After posting about Kodo here our vet tried Clavamox
(.25ml, twice a day for a four pound ferret) to attack
the infection causing the spleen to be so enlarged.
It worked wonders but shortly after discontinuing the
Clavamox the spleen got big again. We ended up doing
three weeks on, two weeks off on the Clavamox. It
definitely improved Kodo's quality of life.
In your place would I insist on surgery? No. I'd
want to know if your ferret is a good surgical
candidate or not and why. I'd want my vet to do all
the necessary tests to determine the risks of surgery
before making that decision.
It sounds to me like you need more info. Long term
antibiotic use can have side effects. We didn't worry
about that because of Kodo's age and various health
problems. For a six year old ferret surgery may be
preferable.
FWIW, Kodo died a few months short of 10. There was a
mass in his spleen at that point. We believe it was
lymphoma that ultimately killed him.
Good luck.
Regards,
Caity and the fabulous five