Dear Kelly:
 
>I have a 5year old male ferret that has been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma
>of the prepuce.  He had the tumor removed 3 months ago, and now it appears
>to be back.  My vet thinks to remove this tumor we may have to reroute his
>"plumbing".  I am wondering if anyone has had this done with a male ferret,
>and how the ferret fared afterward?  I don't want to put him through this
>if it is going to be too traumatic for him, as it may not add that much
>more time to his life
 
This is not a good tumor to have.  Adenocarcinomas of the prepuce result
from neoplasms of the scent glands in the area.  Unfortunately, they tend
to metastasize early to the lymph nodes within the abdomen, and disseminate
widely.
 
Yes, you can perform a perineal urethrostomy - if necessary, as this is not
standard practice, because the tumor is actually of the sheath and not of
the penis.  This operation results in the urethra being opened and sewn
at its widest point - just below the anus (in effect making a boy into a
girl).  This operation is usually reserved for animals who get recurrent
blockage with bladder stones.
 
Not knowing all of the facts of the case, my suggestion is to get tot he
vet ASAP, get a good physical exam with paplpation of the internatl nodes
to see if any are enlarged, and if you are going to go with surgery, do
it soon, and as radically as possible.  The PU may be needed, it may not.
Even a matter of days can make a difference between metastasis and
eventually succumbing, and getting it all out before it does.  This one
should not wait till Christmas, and definitely should be done before new
years.
 
Ferrets tolerate PU's pretty well, overall, so I wouldn't worry about that
part of the procedure.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3273]