From:
"April Armstrong Campbell"
Date: 2005-05-19 19:07:30 UTC
Subject: Update on Bandit/possible EPI-liver tumor now evident
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <000e01c55ca6$01b87700$6701a8c0@Gateway>
Well, EPI is still not entirely ruled out, but an ultrasound did reveal a h=
uge liver tumor and a kidney cyst (right)-which probably means nothing in i=
tself (bloods and urine were normal), but the liver tumor is bad news. We =
don't know what kind of tumor it is-not something the ultrasonographer felt=
we should do an ultrasound-guided biopsy on. =
Based on the recommendations of my regular vets and the boarded surgeon I w=
ork with, we will probably try and remove it next Tuesday and send it out f=
or biopsy; it does not seem to have metastasized based on xrays and ultraso=
und (but you never know). =
If the surgery is not going well, we may let him cross the Bridge on the OR=
table (he is not doing well at all, and if we might have to put him to sle=
ep anyway, we feel we should at least try and see if surgery gives him a ch=
ance to recover and have decent quality of life). If the procedure goes we=
ll, hopefully he recovers well and this gives him a chance to bounce back. =
His prognosis also depends on what the biopsy shows the tumor to be.
I would still love any info on EPI in ferrets, but it seems now that the li=
ver tumor is what is causing his major problems at this time. I feel bad =
that I assumed he was worsening at first due to his insulinoma; that may be=
playing a part, but I wish I'd suspected something else sooner (not that I=
waited that long to have him checked out).
Thanks,
April