>Thanks Dr Williams I will request an aspirate (WHAT is that?)
 
An aspirate is when you stick a needle into an organ (in this case the
spleen) and suck out some cells, which you look at on a slide.  It is a
quick way to get a preliminary diagnosis without having to actually go
in and remove the organ in question.  For lymphomas, I do recommend
following up with a real biopsy for confirmation.
 
>i was wondering why no signs then boom there it is..??
 
Ferrets with JL generally present all of a sudden - usually when a mass
in the chest causes significant problems breathing.  The liver and spleen
is usually also enlarged, but there is a lot of extra room in the abdomen
for them to grow, but space is at a premium in the chest.  Lungs need room
to expand when you inhale, and anything growing in the chest soon impinges
on them.
 
>guess..would a pic help?
 
Unfortunately, in this case, gross pictures generally don't help much -
an X-ray though, is often very telling.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3717]