Message Number: YPG633 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2006-12-21 16:46:26 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Will treating my fuzzy make his quality of life worse?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

Okay, first off, on what is the diagnosis based?

One of the many reasons that I believe in keeping hypotheses separate in thought from
things which have been verified through well designed and careful testing by actual
experts and published with peer review (a great way to find flaws upfront and correct for
them when possible) is because hypotheses don't always pan out.

One such instance involved diagnosing lymphoma/lymphosarcoma in ferrets but the
hypothesis was prematurely released and got shared around a lot. (Think of the Cold
Fusion press release mistake and ensuing fiasco for a more extreme example of why this
approach goes wrong.) The lymphoma diagnosis from blood tests hypothesis was shared
around so much that not everyone realized that once tested it failed. That hypothesis was
that lympho could be diagnosed through blood tests. Nope. Not so. Systemic infections
such as a bad bout of helicobacter can produce the same results. In fact, one medical
problem, DIM, has even more extreme readings for white cell counts than lympho.
Infections can also swell the nodes and spleen.

A high white count, swollen nodes, enlarged spleen, and a number of other symptoms
make lympho suspect, and the more experienced a vet is the better the vet will be at
telling one from the other from those, but to be sure a biopsy is needed. Sometimes it is
only safe to do as aspirate form a node, but with aspirates, while they can be a big help it
pays to recall that small rates of false negatives and small rates of false positives happen.

So, how was the lymphoma diagnosed?


--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "rachaelsleighter" <rachaelsleighter@...> wrote:
>
> I found out two days ago my 3 year old ferret has lymphoma, or that's
> what the doc said, I'm going to get a second opinion. He has a large
> mass in his belly. He has had it for a long time though, over a year. I
> just though his "big belly" was fat. He is pretty active and eats
> normally. I am afraid if I go ahead with the course of treatments
> suggested - surgery, pred., chemo he will be in pain/sick from the meds
> and not as happy as he is now. but I also want him to live for a while
> yet.
>





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