Hello All!
 
I just wanted to make a quick post and ask some advice.  I apologise in
advance if I get too wordy.
 
First of all, is it possible for ferrets to get "car sick"?  I have noticed
lately that one of my fuzzbutts (Katie) will get the gags/dry heaves/vomit
after a car ride.  I'm not sure if it's actual motion sickness or just the
stress from being in a small carrier in the car.
 
Does anyone else have a ferret that bites toenails?  My deaf ferret will
bite the big toenail of anyone who's barefoot or wearing sandals.  Doesn't
hurt, but it feels strange.
 
Now, for the serious part: I took all 5 of my ferrets in to get rechecked
for ear mites on Friday.  (Good news, there were no live mites, just an
egg or two).  I also wanted the vet to look at what appeared to be a "blood
blister" on the back of Gareth's leg.  I first noticed this a week or two
ago and showed it to my husband.  He told me that I was probably
overreacting and that we'd keep an eye on it.  Well, the "blister" didn't
go away.  (A little background: Gareth is 4, I'm guessing, I adopted him a
year and a half ago, he's a marshall farms, he had a fasting glucose and
bloodwork done in May, and it all turned out normal).
 
The vet aspirated (sp?) the "blister" and said that it did not appear to
be a mast cell tumor, but a round cell.  She went on to describe the "cell
parts" that she saw (terms I remembered from high school biology--and that
was awhile ago_, but I was lost after that.  Gareth's fur has also been
appearing thin.  He still has his guard hairs, but the rest seem to be
disappearing.  The only bald spots that he has is a "V-shape" right by his
shoulder-blades and his tummy is becoming bald.  His tail has been bald for
at least a year, but his "butt area" is not showing the classic signs of
adrenal.  The vet is "hunching" that he has adrenal and has suggested that
I have exploratory surgery done to check for adrenal and have the "round
cells" removed at the same time.
 
My vet also thinks that Katie (mentioned above) is also developing adrenal
because her fur is thinning.  Katie was born in May of 95 and is the
littermate of Kaylin, who had adrenal surgery in Feb.
 
Can someone please enlighten me as to what a "round cell" is?  I'll take
any advice (as long as it's not a flame)
 
Thanks
Lori
& Katie, Kaylin, Kenna, Gavin and Gareth
[Posted in FML issue 2810]