Things have been crazy around here, and I am waaayyy behind, but just
read the last couple of FMLs, and felt the need to respond.
 
As far as I know -- Dr. Williams, Dr. Weiss, please jump in on this --
cancer in ferrets cannot be diagnosed by a blood test.  Blood counts,
including white counts, are only *indications*, not definitive diagnoses.
Three years ago, my ferret Bandit was given a preliminary diagnosis of
lympho, but it was not confirmed until he had a liver biopsy at the Animal
Medical Center in New York City.  This was followed by a year and a half
of chemotherapy, administered by Dr. Ann Jeglum, a noted veterinary
oncologist in West Chester, PA.  He went into remission and has remained
in remission since.  The chemo protocol included L-aspariginase,
Vincristine and Methotrexate in a five-week rotation -- the protocol
itself is listed in Pam Greene's Lympho FAQ.
 
Prednisone is NOT chemotherapy, although it is often used in conjunction
with chemo.  It is a cortico-steroid.  My understanding is that it is
used with chemo to reduce inflammation and as an appetite stimulant.  (If
that is incorrect, Dr. Williams & Dr. Weiss, please jump in.)
 
As far as the effects of chemo on animals vs. people goes, I was told
both by Dr. Jeglum and Dr. Karen Rosenthal of the Animal Medical Center,
that animals tolerate chemo much better than people, and that it usually
does not cause the hair loss or other adverse reactions that people get.
Ferrets, I was told, tolerate chemo particularly well.  I can verify that
this was the case with Bandit -- in a year and a half on chemo, he only
had an adverse reaction ONCE, and that was on the hottest day of the
year, when he got overheated and slightly dehydrated after a dose of
Vincristine.
 
I have no experience with holistic medicine, so can't comment about its
efficacy with cancer treatment, but I did want to say that chemotherapy
and Prednisone can produce positive results.  I am firmly convinced that
Bandit would not be alive today without it; he was one sick little ferret.
And now he is happy and healthy (albeit geriatric, now that he's almost 7)
and affectionate as ever, if not as bouncy as when he was younger.
 
Sorry for the continued delay in putting out an updated FFZ list -- it's
coming, it's coming, I promise!  Meanwhile, following Ferret Central's
selection as a Cool Site of the Day in January, the FFZ list has been
selected for the Useless Web Pages list.  So nice to be thought useless.
So whaddya gonna do?  <wry grin>
 
Katie, Jeff, Andy, Bandit, Molly, Charlie, Pogo & Sigmund
 
--
         Katie Fritz -- Internet: [log in to unmask]
CompuServe: 71257,3153--S2 Ferrets Section Co-Leader, Animal Forum--GO PETSTWO
"From what I hear Earth is a podunk little place but they make great pastrami"
      -- Graetwist, "Roadways #1," available from Cult Press     DDICB/TGIX
[Posted in FML issue 1133]