From:
"Meryl Faulkner"
Date: 2008-12-25 02:05:22 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Felicity - hind leg weakness, possible tumor -necropsy result
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I received the results of the necropsy today.
Findings :
BREED/SPECIES:
IDENTIFICATION COMMENT:EXOTIC OTHERS
F/S DOMESTIC FERRET "FELICITY" **SAVE BODY**
FERRET
TEST RESULTS:
Submitted is a 0.6kg, 4 year old, spayed female, grey, domestic ferret
in good nutritional and good postmortem conditions.
HISTORY
Hind limb weakness and masses progressed over a two month period of
time. Aspirates of masses indicate lymphoma. Radiographs demonstrated
a spinal lesion in the lumbosarcral area. Euthanasia was performed on
11/29/01. Necropsy was performed on 12/2/08.
GROSS EXAMINATION
A small shaved area is present on the lumbar area. There is tartar on
the teeth. The trachea is clear. The lungs are pink and spongy. The
heart appears normal. A small amount of brown cloudy mucoid liquid is
in the stomach. The intestines appear reddened. The liver has a
roughened surface. The mesenteric lymph nodes are enlarged and firm.
The spleen is markedly enlarged with multiple, confluent, pale nodules
(0.1 0.4cm diameter) throughout. A 2.5 x 3.5 x 3.5cm, white and grey,
soft to semi-firm, mass surrounds the lumbosacral spine replacing the
vertebral bone.
ANCILLARY TESTS
Photo (spleen)
MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS
Spleen and paralumbar mass: Sheets of neoplastic lymphocytes
infiltrate the parenchyma of the spleen and the paralumbar tissues.
The neoplastic cells have sparse eosinophilic cytoplasm and large,
vesicular nuclei. Mitoses are common (1/40x field).
DIAGNOSIS
Lymphoma (lymphocytic)
COMMENTS
Lymphoma is a common neoplasm in ferrets. The adult onset-lymphocytic
form is a slowly progressive disease that typically affects the
peripheral lymph nodes and ultimately leads to visceral organ
infiltration. In this case, the peripheral nodes did not
appear to be involved grossly.
Guess that not much could have been done. I wonder (after the fact) if
we had thought of doing the radiation therapy sooner whether that
would have been a good idea, or if it just would have delayed the
final result. I had not realized that radiation therapy was commonly
used in companion animals in veterinary medicine in the US. From what
Iunderstood it is expensive (even more so than usual ferret surgery
expenses).
Meryl
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