Some of you may remember that last year, around this time, I lost my
little red cinnamon, Suzy Derkins, to lymphosarcoma.  It seemed to
come on her fast, a sudden weight loss I didn't recognize, then a huge
metastasized tumor in the abdomen that paralyzed her.  Her bonded
mate/brother, Calvin, didn't seem to want to recognize that she was ill,
and when we took him to say goodbye to her, he wanted to play.  After
she left us we let Kit and him be with her.  Kit knew she was gone, but
Calvin kept on trying to get her up, get her to play.  I don't think he
wanted to recognize she was gone.  I've noticed since then a slight
increase in him being a little more aggressive with me, not with the
other ferrets, just me.  Genie gives me 'Smurf bites' but Calvin will try
to bite me.  Maybe he thinks it's my fault Suzy is gone, I don't know.
 
I've been noticing a slight 'fatty' deposit under his left front leg, and
then last week there was another one under his right front.  Since Calvin
isn't fat, I began to watch and feel these every day.  Wednesday I found
a lump under his left front, and one under his right front.  I called the
vet to make an appointment and I took Calvin to the veterinary yesterday,
as not only did I find the lumps, Thursday evening he just didn't act
right, abdomen slightly distended.
 
After a thorough exam the vet found swollen lymph nodes on his hind legs,
as well as the front, although the abdomen was normal.  No swollen nodes
that he could ascertain in the neck area.  So he gave him a shot of
Depomedrol and had me put him on Clavamox.  Said I may notice an increase
in thirst and urination.  We talked about other meds, and he told me of
one that causes extreme irritation around the urethra/prepuce(sp?), that
Depomedrol was probably the best.  Told me to watch him, see how he does.
Hopefully this will help him, and will keep this at bay.  The vet had
given one little one a Depo shot and it lasted it a year before the
glands swelled again, another lasted 4 months before another shot.  So
if you all don't mind, keep Calvin in your thoughts.  One time on the
FML we gave our ferrets their human counterparts, and Calvin's is Robin
Williams.  He's always been the class clown, the one who could crack
me up.
 
Rebecca and the Worried Crew of Merry Mayhem
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and =
 taste good with ketchup"
"Support bacteria, it's the only culture some people have"
[Posted in FML issue 3920]