From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-09-30 17:09:50 UTC
Subject: RE: Ashton has cancer
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <848121.1128100190518.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Author wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> I have written before about Ashton questioning his symptoms. I found out a week ago that he has cancer. He started with fluid in his chest, after that cleared, a bit, xrays revealed a mass that was spreading.
> I refused any type of surgery and meds. Cancer can't be cured in humans how can a tiny ferret be healed.
I am about to tell you something which I doubt applies to your little one because others will need you to know this. Then I will go back to your little one.
There are many human survivors of malignancies these days, and not all of them are just 5 or 10 year survivors. It depends on the malignancy type ("Cancer" is actually hundreds of separate types of malignancies and they can and do vary a lot, plus not all growths are malignant.), the location, how far it has advanced, and whether it has had time to spread all matter hugely in how effective treatment will be. The amount of progress in treating malignancies has been enormous. Nor are all of the approaches as severe as they once were. An uncle (who since died at an advanced age of another medical problem) and several friends are all "cancer" survivors.
Similarly, there are and have been survivors of various malignancies among ferrets.
Sadly, though, in your ferret's case the growth sounds like it is in the thorax and that tends to be associated with not only vastly more complicated surgery than an abdominal growth, but also with some of the harder to treat malignancies.
Have you and your vet at least begun or discussed meds like Furosemide/Lasix to tackle the fluid, a steroid like Prednisolone (which helps slow many of the more common types of malignancies in ferrets), and pain med options?
If this is not a growth in the heart or lungs themselves then the chances are pretty high that it is Juvenile Lymphoma which tends to be very unresponsive to treatment for curing, though meds like the ones mentioned can help preserve better quality of life for as long as possible.
Try the meds so that he can have quality of life as long as he needs it. If the pain gets bad or he is ready to give up, believe me when I say that you will know that without question. Let your ferret's behavior rather than your own fear guide you as much as possible. That is not easy, but it is possible.
> I am at the point now when I am questioning what I should do next. He is eating his soft food mixture that I make him twice a day and he still has short periods where he runs through the house like always checking things out, but those activity times are getting shorter and shorter.
> My question is, how do I know if he is in pain? What signs do I look for to tell me it's time to send him over the rainbow bridge?
> I always appreciate the advice I get from your site.
> Thanks,
> Kelli and Ashton