Hello all,
 
I have been a lurker on this list for almost three years and I've only
posted once.  I've never had any major health problems with my ferrets
until now.  My ferret, Buddy, is between 5.5 and 7 years old (definitely
5.5 because that's how long I've had him).  He's been perfectly healthy
except for a minor cold.  Last week he started coughing.  Not a normal, 'I
was sniffing at the dust bunnies', cough, this cough sounded bad.  I took
him to the vet today and they did x-rays.  The x-ray showed a mass that is
pushing his trachea to one side.  The vets report says the following:
 
Cranial lung fields consolidated, interstitial pneumonia in caudal lung
fields, mediastinum dense and wider than normal.  denation of trachea
interthoracically from thoracic inlet to top of heart.
 
Possible causes:
Insulinoma, Pathogenic yeast, Mediastinal mass (enlarged lymph nodes,
benign mass, malignant tumor), Primary lung tumor.
 
Please forgive any spelling mistakes.  If anyone has had any experience
with this, I would like to hear from you.  This is my first major medical
crisis with my ferrets and I'm not sure what to do.  I have an appointment
on Thursday to determine what the mass is.  Buddy came home with a mix of
medicine to help him.  He is my first ferret and I love him to pieces.  I
don't know what I would do without him.  I am hoping for the best.  Please
keep Buddy in your thoughts.
 
Thanks for any help,
Jessica
[Posted in FML issue 2996]