From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-08-19 17:14:11 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Weir nail growth problem - insulinomic ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Could be a Keratosis, a benign type of skin tumor which sometimes happens on the feet
of compromised ferrets.
We had one with lymphoma in his right adrenal who got them I guess about 20 years ago
now, give or take a few years. That was also before good foods existed which had
reasonable mineral balances (actually relevant as you will later see in this post).
Make sure to keep the ferret's other medical conditions under good enough control.
Moisturizing with olive oil seemed to make him more comfy. His were all over his pads so
very uncomfortable at times. It looks like in humans they are typically trimmed (or
removed?) whenever too large so that is a possible option.
It's been suggested that some infections might set the stage for this, but i do not know
how that has panned out. Way back when too little zinc in the diet was suggested as a
possible cause but zinc can become poisonous if too much is ingested. Keratoses are so
rare in ferrets who are fed kibble that if this is kibble fed ferret then i doubt that a mineral
imbalance is to blame. If you provide your own foods then it might be a possibility if they
hypothesis is still considered valid.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Joan" <jevanci1@...> wrote:
>
> I'm glad i'm not the only one to notice this happening with
> insulinomic ferrets.
> many of mine have had this kind of deadening of the nail too.
> It doesn't sem to present any ptroblems of itself, but i haven't
> gotten any answers about it either.
>
>
> - In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "FerretMistress"
> <FerretMistress@> wrote:
> ...
> > well, off to the problem. the growth is dark brown, it looks sort of
> > crusty and scaly, and it seems that is is somehow attached or growing
> > from the root of the 4th finger's nail on left paw. about month before
> > this growth appeared we noticed that her nail is somehow dislocated -
> > it stood a bit aside, so I straightened it. she haven't show any sign
> > of discomfort, pain or else. so after about a month later this growth
> > appeared
>
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