To Laura:
 
>I was playing with Trillian today when I noticed a lump under her skin.  Can
>we say Heart Attack!  I am soooo worried...
 
    Go ahead and make the appointment, but I certainly wouldn't have a heart
attack just yet.  Ferrets develop a fair number of benign skin lesions in
the ksin, primarily cysts and small tumors, but a paucity of malignant ones.
Another possibility is a vaccine reaction.  I would suggest removal and
submission to a pathologist for diagnosis.  Don't let your vet just toss it
in the trashcan - this happens often, as many vets have the opinion that"if
it comes back, then it's bad and I'll have it analyzed then....".
 
    Playing the odds at this point - you don't have a lot to worry about...
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
Dept. of Vet Path, AFIP
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Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
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[Posted in FML issue 1390]