To Alison Machum:
 
        I will be following up this post with a phone call so that we don't make
a hasty mistake in treating Otis.
 
        Mast cells are a population of cells in the skin and other organs that
are present in small numbers and contain chemical mediators of allergic
reactions.  Mast cell tumors are common benign tumors in various companion
species.
 
        Mast cell tumors are the second most common skin tumor in the ferret in
my experience, following sebaceous epithelioma.  Mast cell tumors in ferrets are
invariably BENIGN; although I have heard of anecdotes of malignant mast cell
tumors in ferrets, I have never seen one, nor have any been reported in the
literature.
 
        While it is important to excise the entire tumor, or it will continue to
grow at that site, I would NOT advocate chemotherapy for this animal, based on
the history of a cutaneous mast cell tumor.
 
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
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[Posted in FML issue 0644]