To Mark Brgr:
 
>I have a 2 year old spayed female, a bit over two pounds, who has developed
>a swollen vulva (size of medium pea) over the last three weeks.  No other
>noticeable changes.  My vet...  advises to wait two months, then do an
ultrasound to assess
 
        I hear a lot about the wait and see approach.  However, swollen
vulvas in a spayed female are a definite sign of disease, usually adrenal.
While 2 years is under the average, it certainly would not be unusual to see
adrenal disease in an animal of this age.  I'm not a fan of waiting and
seeing.  This is not a case of marginal hair loss but a definite sign of
disease.  All that waiting can do is make an adrenal disease larger (which
can be a real problem if it turns out to be a malignant tumor).  Probably a
far better idea to explore the abdomen now....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
Dept. of Vet Path, AFIP
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Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
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[Posted in FML issue 1295]