From:
"jenniferr"
Date: 2009-10-19 00:09:00 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Gingival hyperplasia and Lupron?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi!
Thi is just another update on my girl's gingival hyperplasia in case someone else needs info. or has any clues about similar experiences with their ferret.
My little girl's gum tumor, which was small to begin with has shrunk down to a small irregular spot on her gum - more like a scar than any any kind of active lesion.
I was giving her reishi as a supplement (1/ capsule 2x per day mixed in soup) thinking I was most likely dealing with sqamous cell carcinoma. this helped to shrink the tumor back by at least 75% when we learned that this was gingival hyperplasia with signs of infection. We added 10 days of clavamox to this. The lesion has receded to a tiny, scar-like condition as described above. It's been over a month since we completed the antibiotics, and the scar-like area still seems to be inactive.
Since the Lupron returned my ferret's adrenal disease to "within normal range" - and since it's the "low-hormone time of year", we decided to switch to melatonin and retest (adrenal panel) my girl in January. At that point in time, we may try "another round" of Lupron. I'll be watching those gums!!!!
My girl's adrenal symptoms are very minimal - she was diagnosed by her behavior as her only symptom. The first adrenal panel showed only a slight elevation in estradiol, and her ultraound revealed adrenal of normal shape and size. We're hoping perhaps her adrenals perhaps had minor hyperplasia with and that a break from "hormone overdrive" may allow them to heal.
I will continue to update this thread as a "case document" of sorts.
Any related info is always welcomed - I'd love to have a clue on what might be going on with the gum thing.
Best Regards,
-jennifer
[Gum infections sometimes can require a pocket to be cleaned out
or a tooth problem to be cleared up but sometimes antibiotics
are enough, and in very mild ones sometimes the body can clear
them up on its own. Hopefully that is all that is going on.
In case some wording may worry readers:
The term tumor can also refer to an abscess. Here is a
Golden Oldie with information from Dr. Bruce Williams,
incredibly knowledgeable ferret veterinary pathologist:
<http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/SCRIPTS/WA-FERRET.EXE?A2=ind0710&L=FERRET-SEARCH&P=R12655&I=-3&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches>
Notice that he writes
BEGIN QUOTE
The
>word "tumor" may be technically correct, but it is actually non-
>specific - tumor is Latin for a swelling, but it could also be an
>abscess, or anything else that causes swelling - so I try to stay
>away from it.
END QUOTE
Hyperplasia definition from Saunders Comprehensive
Veterinary Dictionary begins:
>abnormal increase in volume of a tissue or organ
>caused by the formation and growth of new normal
>cells. Categorized as irregular, papillated, regular.
If the word Neoplasia (Neoplasum singular) is used
then a growth may be benign or may be malignant.
This should also have info on why sometimes terminology
can be confusing for some readers:
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/PDF/neoplasia.pdf
If the Lupron is needed (and I realize you are saying there may not
be an adrenal growth) but time extends beyond the dose time then
know that in some ferrets the symptoms will temporarily worsen at
first. It's the same problem as is encountered with the 24 hour
Lupron so read this just to have the info beforehand:
http://www.miamiferret.org/24hr_lupron.htm ]
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