To Avatar and Loki:
 
>She did an aspirate of the spleen and upon examination saw all the evidence
>of lymphoma.
 
Avatar- I always get very nervous hearing stories like this.  The diagnosis
of lymphosarcoma by an aspirate is a very tricky diagnosis, even for an
experienced pathologist.  In anemic ferrets, the marked production of red
blood cells which occurs in the spleen strongly resembles lymphosarcoma.
 
If there is a question of lymphoma in the spleen - the spleen should be
removed and looked at by a pathologist, not a practicing veterinarian before
you even contemplate chemotherapy.
 
I think you need to back off from chemotherapy unitl a definitive diagnosis
is reached.  An aspirate of a spleen certainly doesn't constitute definitive
diagnosis.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 1521]