Virgo, the female ferret with the infection on the neck was taken back to
Dr. Dutton.  She was in terrible pain and couldn't even swallow Duck Soup.
The infection was in one of the lymph nodes.
 
While cleaning out the one infection pocket,he found another on the other
side.  He did a needle aspiration of the infection and pulled out 3 cc of
pus.  Dr. Dutton thinks that, considering the location of the infected lymph
glands, that the source of the infection might be the teeth.  They are badly
covered with tarter.  Because of her heart condition, he was reluctant to
keep her under the anesthetic very long, so did the best he could in the
short time he had.  The plan is to get the infection cleared up, so we can
somewhat control the cardio.  and get her strong enough to put her under and
scale the teeth thoroughly.  Sort of the chicken and egg problem.  The teeth
are causing the infection, but he can't clean the teeth completely until he
gets the infection under control.
 
The tumor removed from the other female was described as ovarian, and the
size of two woman's fists placed side by side.  There was no room left in
there for ferret.  It was cancerous, but he said that such cancers usually
only spread to the other ovary, which he removed during the spay.  He said
that she would probably be OK.  All we can do is hope.
 
The removed kidney from the other ferret was the "size of a golfball".
 
We're still waiting on Tom and Brenda's report from the biopsy on the tumor
removed from the male ferret's penis; and the 6 year-old female still has to
deliver.
 
At least 3 of these ferrets would very soon have been dead if Tom and Brenda
hadn't rescued them when they did.  What a mess!  Only two of the seven are
not in some sort of critical or potentially serious condition.
 
          Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1762]