To Troy Lynn concerning impacted anal glands:
>Vixen has what our vet believes is an impacted anal gland. Recommendation is
>surgery to remove the gland, however, it's possible it won't enlarge, or it may
>enlarge enough to rupture causing infection and warrant surgery. Fortunately, I
>spotted it soon enough to take time in making my decision. It's just large
>enough to cause a slight purpling of the skin and barely visible unless you're
>looking for it. I gently tried to release the fluid (perhaps too gently)
>without success. It isn't causing any pain or discomfort because Vixen never
>squirmed or even flinched for me or the doctor.
>Here's our problem - Vixen was 7 yrs old in June. Her family line is full of
>cancer - her father died of insulinoma (Nikki), 2 sisters have insulinomas
>(Whitney & Teddy Bear), another sister (Ruby) died 4 months after tail
>amputation (because of a growth) and a stroke. To
>this day Vixen has not shown any symptoms of cancer but because of her family
>line I assume she too is or will be affected. While stress has not been
>scientifically proven to cause cancer cells to mestastasize,
>after what Ruby went through I believe it is a strong contributing factor. As
>Ruby's stroke was probably caused by a blood clot from surgery, I
>asked if there were any main blood vessels and there are, so the same thing
>could happen to Vixen. To compound an already difficult decision, Vixen is
>normally a "touch-me-not" "I'm independent" ferret but at the vets office she
>laid across my chest with her little head and paws resting on my shoulder the
>entire time. And she's the last healthy (or so I thought) one of my original
>line of ferrets. I had her grandfather, grandmother, dad and sister, and still
>have her mom (Prissy who is blind and has to be syringe fed) and 2 sisters.
>I'm leaning towards the "wait and see what happens" side. If I choose surgery
>and she dies, I'd never forgive myself (I still haven't for Ruby). Is there a
>way without surgery to get rid of the obstruction in the gland?
TLE: Sorry to hear about Vixen. One other thing that you should
consider: if the impaction becomes infected, then you will have a site which
is showering the body with bacteria, and she may develop other complications as
a result of sepsis. I realize that a 7-year old ferret is a surgical risk, but
perhaps after a careful workup, your vet can choose an appropriate anesthetic
and remove the gland quickly and easily. To my knowledge, there is no way to
remove the impaction without surgery, although if it becomes infected, it may
abscess and rupture to the outside.
There shoudl be no guilt associated with surgery on an older ferret who
doesn't make it. You are still doing what is in the best interest of the
animal. It's not like you are have a 7-year-old descented or having a cosmetic
procedure. An impacted anal gland can easily develop life-threatening
complications.
Another possibilitiry here is that it is not an impacted anal glands.
Cysts are common in this area and may look raised and purplish, and have no pain
associated with it.
As far as cancer in ferrets is concerned - insulinomas are very, very
common in ferrets, more common than even we think. Most ofthe older ferrets
that I see at autopsy have non-functional islet cell tumors which have never
caused a major problem. If you are going to have ferrets, you're going to see
insulinomas. I have six ferrets, and have removed insulinomas from two in the
past year. Also, concerning Ruby, if the growth on the tail was a chordoma, as
most of them are, these tumors generally don't metastasize, so the tumor itself
(and most likley the surgery)wasn't the cause of her demise.
I guess what I am trying to say is not to be so hard on yourself. You
are not responsible for Ruby's death, nor for Vixen's problems. I hope this
helps with your decision...
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 0922]
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