>From:    Jason Hockley <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Mast Cell Tumors, and other nicer things.
>...that's what it was, and informed me that surgery to remove the tumor
>would cost between $250 and $300 (based on 10-20 minute surgery).  I simply
>cannot afford that right now.... My concern was that the veterinarian
>seemed a little too quick to accept MY diagnoses, and not to make a proper
>one of her own.
 
$250+ to remove a skin tumor is way too much.  I've had adrenal surgery done
for less than that.  If all her rates are abnormally high, then I don't
suppose there's much you can do about it other than find another vet.  Or
perhaps question her why she charges so much for that procedure and have
her break it down into all the individual charges.
 
>I don't beleive that a ferret (or any animal) should be chopped open for
>every growth, swelling, and blockage.  There's always another way.
 
I don't believe there's always another way.  Sometimes maybe, but "always"
is too absolute.  The important thing is to make it go away by whatever
means works, and real soon.  It could be an extremely dangerous growth or
it could be relatively harmless.  I've had both of those kinds on my guys
and you can't tell by looking at it.
 
My Max, who has since passed away, had a harmless looking, 1/8", skin
colored bump on his head.  It looked as innocent as a bump could look.  I
had it removed and the biopsy came back a particularly dangerous type of
cancer.  Fortunately, surgery got it all and that was the end of it.  Had
I wasted time with ineffective home treatments, it could have metastasized
and that would have been the end of Max.  That's not to say that all home
treatments are ineffective, or that what your ferret has is dangerous, but
don't waste a lot of time experimenting.
 
Choose your little girl's course of treatment only after careful
consideration of all the possibilities.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue
*
* Visit our web site:  http://www.gate.net/~mjanke
[Posted in FML issue 2275]