Hello, I'm Karie (a.k.a.  Traveler) and I am new to the list.  I am also new
to ferrets.  I am looking for more information about cancer in ferrets as my
4 yr old rescue ferret was diagnosed with Carsonoma of the Rectum,
malignant.  He was also severely hypolglycemic.  Well, I had to choose today
between conitnuing and ending his ordeal and I pray I chose correctly by
having him put down.  Has anyone ever had a ferret cry?  I may be crazy but
as I held him last night while contemplating what to do, you could hear him
sobbing in my arms.  Even though now I've made a final choice, I am still
very interested in finding out if this is a common ferret problem?  I have
another ferret, Quinn, who is also approx 4 years old.  He bounced through
many different owners and the people I got him from cared so little they
didn't even know what sex he was nor realize his lack of exercise (confined
to a tiny cage for a year) made his legs so weak it took me over 6 weeks to
get him to the point that he could walk across the living room.  He is also
blind in one eye, apparently a cat scratch or similiar trauma.  I can also
feel lumps in Quinn but understand they are *usually* insulinomas?  He has
no outer signs of ill health though.
 
Ok, well maybe today I was just looking for a shoulder to cry on since noone
else I know seems to understand how attatched we can become to our ferrets.
If you have any information on carsanomas in ferrets, please email me about
it!  Thank you!
 
Karie
[Posted in FML issue 1810]