From:
"mary.segalla"
Date: 2011-08-31 17:05:17 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Lump/tumor on skull
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Has anyone ever had a ferret who developed a hard lump (the size of a pea)of bone on their skull? My Fox has a lump on his skull that is sadly growing. The first time my vet measured it it was .5 cm now it is 1 cm one direction and 1.3 the other. It's growing pretty fast, that change is within a month.
My vet wanted to do a biopsy but they didn't think they could since it is hard bone. Then decided they could make a small incision, and drill a piece of it out with the dental drill. After talking to a few people I decided against this as I wasn't sure what benefit we would gain and it seemed pretty traumatic for him.
As a longshot we put him on amoxi for 4 weeks hoping it was a bone infection, although neither of my vets felt it was. At times during his abx treatment I did think he was getting better, but then when we went back to the vet the lump had doubled in size. So we took him off the abx and put him on pred, currently 1 mg pill 2 x a day (he's been on it 6 days now.
I haven't seen a change in him. He is fairly lethargic as to his activity, and lies alot flat out with his nose pointed straight ahead of him. He eats well, and is very alert. The hardest part is he goes in to these scratching fits where he digs at his foot, his ear, or his belly. Sometimes I wonder if something else is going on, but the vets don't feel anything else is wrong other than his lump.
They think he has a rare type of tumor to the skull that grows. They found it in a ferret text book from vet school. I am thinking I am not supposed to ive the name of my vets here, but they are wonderful, and one teaches a ferret class at the vet school here.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? Does anyone have any ideas? I have wondered if the mad scratching is really pain,that he doesn't know how to interpret, so thinks it's an itch.
Two months before the lump appeared he had what we all believe was a severe allergic reaction to something. His whole head blew up to over twice its normal size (head only). He was put on pred and benadril and it resolved itself within a week and he seemed normal again. They did extensive blood work and xrays at the time but all was normal, so it was finally decided he must have been bit by something. He never lost his appetite during this, though he was subdued. I don't know if that is related to this lump or not.
The lump is right on his forehead between his ears. He has had his sugar checked every two weeks and it's normal (120), he has a des implant just with the remote hope it would help the itching (he's had it 5 weeks, made no difference), was on amoxi 4 weeks, and now pred. They did xray his skull when they put the implant in, to see if the tumor was growing down in to his skull also. From the xrays it did NOT look like it was growing down in to his skull, but they also told me that they couldn't get the angle to be completely sure of that.
I don't want to lose him, but I don't want him to suffer either. He doesn't play, doesn't want to go outside, but is eating well (and getting quite fat). He is a McKid from the Ohio Rescue, thought to be between 1 and 2 when he picked me out at Lori's almost 4 years ago. Somedays he seems pretty happy. Other days he seems really unhappy.
Thanks for any help.
Mary
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