Chester is a 2-yr old shelter ferret, a real sweetie.  His cagemate Simon
had surgery several weeks ago for a possible blockage, and now Chester has
had his turn.
 
Shortly after Chester and Simon first came into the shelter, we noticed a
growth along the side of Chester's neck.  It almost felt as if there were a
piece of string under the skin.  We weren't sure if it had been there when
he first arrived, and our vet Dr. Turner suggested we just keep an eye on
it for a while.
 
It became clear it was getting larger, and the vet was concerned it might
grow around his jugular, so Chester went under the knife today.
 
Dr. Turner removed something about 3 1/2" long, flat and about 1/4-1/2"
wide.  He said it resembled a fibrous carcinoma, which he's never seen in
ferrets before, though it is not uncommon in snakes.  A sample has gone off
for biopsy.
 
Has anyone seen anything like this in ferrets before?
 
Poor Chester looks like Frankenstein now, with stitches from  his shoulder
along the side of his neck.
 
Linda Iroff
The Raisin Retreat
North Coast Ferret Shelter West
Oberlin, OH
http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html
[Posted in FML issue 2434]