Hello,
 
I have a question in regards to a 5yr old female ferret that both my vet
and I are stumped on.  Abby came into the shelter along with her cagemate,
Meijho, about a year ago.  Since then, neither one of them have been healthy
at the same time.  Abby developed an ulcer shortly after coming into the
shelter.  Awhile later she developed a good sized right adrenal tumor, which
was removed surgically.  A few months ago her belly became very swollen in
comparison with the rest of her body.  I assumed an enlarged spleen from the
stress of the adrenal tumor, and we removed the spleen surgically.  During
surgery, which I observed, my vet withdrew about 15cc's of bloody fluid
from her belly.  We both assumed that somehow the spleen was leaking of some
sort, and that the removal would take care of the problem.  It has not.
Abby's belly is getting bigger, while the skin around her neck is getting
flabbier, telling me that she is slowly starving to death.
 
I am guessing that the swelling in her belly is from the fluid, but I have
no clue where the fluid is coming from, or what I can do to treat it.
Directly under where the incision was for the splenectomy, Abby's belly is
very hard for about the size of a golf ball.  Everything else is soft.  My
vet also thought when she looked around inside during the surgery, that it
looked like the adrenal tumor might be growing back.  During Abby's original
adrenal surgery, which was done by a different vet, that vet thought she
saw the beginnings of tumors on the pancreas.  My vet also suspects
lymphosarcoma.  Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong with this poor
girl??  She is such an absolute sweetheart, and does not deserve the hand
that she has been dealt.  I also don't think she could take another surgery,
she almost didn't make it through the splenectomy.  At the current rate, I
am guessing she has only maybe a matter of months left to live, possibly
weeks.  Please, if you have any idea, e-mail me at [log in to unmask] and let
me know what you think.  I am grasping at straws here, I have never heard of
this before or come across it, and I don't want this little sweetheart to
have to live out the rest of her life tired and feeling sick.
 
Thank you,
Shelley Knudsen
Legion of Superferrets of Nebraska Ferret Shelter
[log in to unmask]   http://www.tcgcs.com/~ferrets
402-463-0190
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[Posted in FML issue 2329]