To Anon concerning mast cell tumors:
 
 
>Our Kira just had a "Mast Cell Tumor" removed from the corner of her mouth.
>The vet said it was the size of a large pea and tends to recur. His experience
>was mostly with cats though..  Anyone have any thoughts on this tumor in
>ferrets???
 
The second most common skin tumor in the ferret is the mast cell tumor.
Mast cells are a population of cells in the skin which are closely associated
with blood cells.  Normally, they mediate allergic reactions, liberating certain
chemicals which cause vascular dilation, causing the redness associated with
hives and other allergic conditions.  Mast cell tumors, although they are
associated with a fairly high rate of malignancy in the dog and cat, are
generally benign in the ferret.  There are no reports of malignant mast cell
tumors in the ferret medical literature.
 
Mast cell tumors usually appear as flat, often hairless, small plaques
on the ferret's body.  They are also freely movable and do not involve
underlying structures.  They may be somewhat crusty, as ferrets will often chew
or scratch at these sites, as some of these tumors itch.  In rare cases, animals
may have multiple mast cell tumors at once.  Excision of these tumors is
considered curative.
 
(Sorry for the stilted language.  This is an excerpt from a short article on
skin tumors I did for the FML a few months ago.  But don't worry, Kira should be
just fine.)
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0816]