From:
"xxxxxxx"
Date: 2007-03-19 05:55:25 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Possible lymphoma...need opinions on what route to go next.
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
On Tufts Protocol my ferret Nilla never had a single side effect. She
never slowed down a bit or got sick, but of course every ferret is
different.
Prednisone isn't going to help the lymphoma. It will only POSSIBLY
reduce tumors by a small amount or swelling but not do anything to
stop spread of lymphoma, as told to me by my vet but she may have been
wrong.
You can have your vet contact Dr. Jorg Mayer for a treatment for
lymphoma. This protocol can be done almost exclusively at a regular
vet and will require a special vet for only one dose of drug once
during the protocol a class X drug that needs to be done at a vet
licensed to do that. I got mine done at a university and as I said
it's only necessary once during the
middle of the protocol time. Here is the contact info:
J=F6RG MAYER, Dr.med.vet., M.Sc.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Head of Exotics Service
Tufts University
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
200 Westboro Road
North Grafton, MA 01536
Tel: (508) 839-5395 ext. 84745
Fax: (508) 839-8726
Sukie, do you know the female vet that I am thinking of who gave me
the protocols directly last spring? I am missing my records as SOS has
them right now.
[Insertion from Sukie: Dr; Katrina Ramsell, who the treating vet can
reach at this hospital:
http://www.swanimalhospital.com/ .]
To save a lot of money you don't have to have your ferret "staged"
(they see how far the cancer has spread or not spread every couple of
weeks) like it says in the protocol. The fact is, you have to continue
with the protocol anyway,
so it isn't necessary, but what you DO have to do is have the CBC test
to make sure the ferret's bone marrow is not being suppressed. The
ferret is staged at the beginning, however, of course, to find out
how far the lymphoma has
spread and what is the best course of action. The protocol can be
strengthened or weakened based on the CBC and the staging.
Here are some money saving tips:
1. Talk to the vet first about how much the drugs are going to cost
and where they are going to order them from. Some drugs are "people
only" and you will have to get them from a pharmacy.
2. Ask Sukie on the list for her contacts for the Tuft's Protocol and
if she has the contact email of the female vet that knows a lot about
it. That vet gave me information for a lot of medical compounders that
my vet could order medications from for cheaper.
[See earlier insertion.]
3. Make sure that the vet gives SubQ fluids to your ferret after
treatments that require it to flush out the toxins. I am not sure if
the protocol highlights that or not. Basically you'll drop off your
ferret at the vet, they'll give treatment and then give SQ fluids
every half-hour for a few hours until you come pick the ferret back up.
There was another protocol mentioned on the Carpet Sharks thread there
they did a new type of chemo once a month called mitoxantrone .1ml
dose, she did 4 months of it and her lymph nodes shrunk back down to
normal, the owners said. Her vet said he's seen ferrets live another
18 months after doing the chemo. The ferret was said to be on month 26.
My ferret Nilla did great on the Tufts protocol with no sickness
whatsoever and went into remission by the 2nd month if I recall, it
was quite fast. But she died later of an unrelated tumor of the vena
cava.
xxxxxxx
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Emily" <rocknroll_songbird@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello, I've recently been posting about Summer, who has an enlarged
> spleen and *possible* enlarged lymph nodes. She's on
> amoxicillin/metronidazole/pepto right now because of some GI
> problems going on in the business. She's had an enlarged spleen for
> a while now and we assumed it was because of a helicobacter
> infection, but while her stools are returning to normal from the
> medication, her spleen is still enlarged and her lymph nodes seem to
> be, most notably the one on the (when her back is toward you) left
> side of her neck. The node on the right side and behind her legs
> don't seem all that big, in fact, you can only feel fat there,
> pretty much.
>
> Most of the time she's had good days, but today she's very
> uncomfortable and we don't know what to do next. She's 7 years old.
> She has not yet had an aspirate or a biopsy done on the nodes or
> spleen. She's supposed to be on the amoxi/metro/pepto for 2-3 more
> weeks (like the other dudes). She's eating well (we hand feed her,
> but great appetite). Sometimes seems uncomfortable when going potty,
> but stools are normal size. She has acts like she wants to get up
> and play, but stops to rests every few minutes.
>
> Does anyone have more information on prednisone use to treat
> lymphoma? Should we talk to the vet about a spleenectomy, just to
> relieve that discomfort? Are there any other conditions that may be
> causing this, that I should know about? Any other treatments?
>
> Any information, personal experiences, or opinions are very helpful.
> We're very scared for her.
> Thank you,
> ~Emily & the kids.
>
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