I've been an FML member for over 3 years, but rarely post.
 
I just got home from taking Max to University of Tennessee Vet Clinic.
Max is beginning to show early symptoms of adrenal disease & I wanted to
catch it before it caused problems.  Max is a MF ferret, 2 yrs 7 mos., a
wonderfully husky chocolate boy I bought for my husband in January 2000.
Max was barely 8 weeks old when I brought him home.  He "toddled" for the
first few days.  So cute!
 
At any rate, I came home from UT with both good news and bad.  The good
news is that Max won't have to have adrenal surgery.  The bad news is
that, while he is in the early stages of adrenal disease, he probably
won't live long enough for it to be a problem.  Max has an osteosarcoma
(or maybe osteocarcinoma) - a bone tumor - on his jaw.  Dr. Greenacres
said these tumors are very fast growing - this one has probably gotten to
this size in just a few weeks.  On the x-rays it looks about the size of
a nickel.  A big, solid white circle against the ghostly outline of his
skull.
 
It's not bothering Max yet, although the x-rays show that it's beginning
to push down on his esophagus.  I can feel the tumor when I stroke under
his jaw.  But it's at its current size and likely growth rate (Dr.
Greenacres has seen a couple of these before, and said they tend to grow
quickly) it won't be long before it gets large enough to start encroaching
on his windpipe.  It's towards the back of his throat, where the cranial
nerves are.  And it has already crossed the center line - the middle of
his skull.  This makes it basically inoperable - the size and risk of
nerve damage is too great.
 
So Max will be with us for a few more weeks, hopefully a few months, until
the time comes that the tumor interferes with his ability to breathe and
swallow too much.  Then we'll have to make the decision to help him to the
bridge.
 
How do I tell Harry (my husband) when he gets home tonight that his buddy
won't be around much longer?
 
Seven or eight years isn't long enough.  And Max is only 2 1/2.  I'm not
ready to have to deal with this.
 
Thanks for listening.
 
Melissa Bell
Mischief, Max & Merlin
Knoxville, TN
[Posted in FML issue 3841]