From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2005-07-10 20:57:16 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Enlarged spleen??
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20863188.1121029484601.JavaMail.nobody@strontium.smartgroups.com>
Hi, everyone,
> wondering how common enlarged spleens are and what
> experience anyone has had with it?
Large spleens are common in older ferrets. Some, like
my Romana (almost 7yr. old female) have a spleen that
is somewhat enlarged but not enough to bother
anything. Others, like my Kodo, had the spleen grow
so large that it displaced other organs and impeded
his mobility.
> Do vet usually remove the spleen or leave
> it in?
That depends on size and whether or not the ferret is
a good surgical candidate. Kodo was around nine when
his problem with the spleen became a real issue. He
also had insulinoma and our vet felt he was unlikely
to survive surgery. We opted for medical treatment
with antibiotics (three weeks on, two weeks off) which
reduced his spleen at first to near-normal. With time
the antibiotics (Clavamox) had less effect but they
still helped. We weren't terribly concerned about
long term side effects because of Kodo's age, other
medical issues, and the amount the treatment improved
his quality of life. Clavamox worked well. We also
tried Baytril which didn't work at all. You can
follow Kodo's progress step by step in the FHL
archives at http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org and search on
the keywords: Kodo spleen antibiotics.
Our vet made it very clear that if Kodo were younger
and otherwise healthy he would have removed his
spleen.
All the best,
Caity and the fantastic five