Q: >He's been reasonably healthy all of his life except that like many
>ferrets, his spleen is enlarged.  It has been this way for about 4 years
>but it has gotten larger over time.
 
A: You did the right thing about having the spleen checked for cancers.
Actually, though, I understand the most common reason for enlarged spleens
in ferrets is due to a chronic helicobacter infection.  Most ferrets carry
the helicobacter and it usually doesn't cause much of a problem unless the
ferret becomes stressed or comes down with another infection that
unbalances his immune system.
 
One common treatment for an enlarged spleen caused by helicobacter is a 30
day regime of Amoxicillin and Metronidazole.  That kills the helicobacter
and the spleen will eventually return to normal.  If the spleen is too
large, to the point where it may rupture, then surgery is usually
recommended.
 
Q: >Heart murmur in ferrets.
 
A: I'm going way out on a limb here (amazing how much company I usually
find here though <G>) and trying to remember about 5 years back, talking to
a vet about heart murmurs.  Please correct me if you know differently, but
I believe that the vet said that most ferret hearts sound like they have a
murmur (actually it's an arrhythmia), and that it's sometimes difficult
for an inexperienced vet to differentiate a real murmur from a common
arrhythmia.  It's certainly worth watching out for signs of heart disease:
hind end weakness, lethargy, poor appetite, sometimes a chronic cough.
 
Sometimes Dr. Kemmerer posts on here.  She is probably the best vet in the
world on ferrets and heart disease.  Maybe she'll post on this question
(and get me off this limb).
 
Q: >Ludo is one year and two months old and the mounting behaviour began in
>february or march just as the days got longer in the spring.
 
A: Sure does sound like a possible adrenal tumor.  In male ferrets, such
tumors are particularly dangerous since they can lead to swelling of the
prostate tissue and total blockage of the urethra.  With that blockage
comes the inability to urinate, with consequent renal damage and a painful
death.  Short of surgery, there is a blood test called the Tennessee Panel.
Your vet can send in a blood sample from your ferret to the University of
Tennessee.  It may take about a month to get the results back.  The test
seems to have a very low rate of false positives (saying that there is a
tumor when there isn't) but a slightly higher rate of false negatives
(saying that there isn't a tumor when there is).  It's the most accurate
test for adrenal tumors that I'm aware of.
 
Dick B.  - not a vet
4 Li'l Paws Ferret Shelter
[Posted in FML issue 2729]