From:
"Diane Wall"
Date: 2005-06-29 18:36:48 UTC
Subject: Osteo Bone Tumor
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <!~!UENERkVCMDkAAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAAAAAAAAABWAJaTEpj0uxSnVPBJTnScKAAAAQAAAArsqMi+RPh0eAAaSVT+ql5wEAAAAA@harbormortgage.com>
Greetings all, you may remember me from my postings about Ruffie and his
DIM Disease. A few months later, I was contacted about two ferrets who were=
left in the back of a pick up truck in the extreme northeast winter we had
here. The two ferrets were in good shape after being rescued and I decided=
to adopt them myself and add them to my younger group who missed Ruffie.
Last month they had a physical and received their rabies shots without much=
any reactions. Then over the past three plus weeks, I noticed a lump on th=
e
back of Bearbear's head behind his ear. Thinking that maybe he was playing=
with another of the group and had scratch or bite I gave him a good looking=
over. It didn't seem to bother him so I kept and eye on it. Over last
weekend I noticed that it was quite a bit bigger and made an appointment fo=
r
Monday. I have a very experienced ferret vet who examined him. The lump
was hard as stone and it was difficult to get a needle biopsy. The slide
showed some irregular cells so we scheduled his surgery for the next day
(yesterday).
It appears that he has some kind of calcified osteo bone tumor that the vet=
has not seen before on a ferret. I took a look at the thing and it was
bigger than I thought. It was near his skull under two layers of muscle
tissue. The poor boy looks like heck with his shaved head and stitches.
The good news is that he is eating and drinking on his own and wants out of=
the cage. To be sure that he was walking ok, I let him walk around the roo=
m
with me for five minutes or so and he seems to be walking ok. His face is =
a
little swollen so I'm getting him checked out again today. Needless to say=
I brought a roomy cage for him to rest in while he is in work with me.
Anyone have any info on this type of bone tumor? What are the thoughts on
how he would get this? What can I expect long term? Will it grow back?
Thank you-
Diane Wall
Mass Ferret Friends & South Shore Ferret Lady