First off, I'm really sorry about the loss of your ferret :(

Secondly, the exact same thing happened with me last year with one of
my ferrets - Duncan, an adorable and always a bit chunky dark Sable who
was the sweetest of the sweet. After I'd already lost my two eldest
just a couple months before after about a year of pred for Insulinoma.
Duncan loved to cuddle and would happily fall asleep in whoever's arms
he happened to be in. I lost him at only four years old and it was also
deemed to be lymphoma.

Unlike your ferret Duncan had actually GAINED some weight - not lost
it - so I brought him to the vet. The vet checked him out - did some
tests and felt him all over and said he was fine - he just had bulked
up a bit over the winter. Well a couple months went by and he started
acting lethargic. I made an appointment to take him to the vet the next
day. That morning he seemed to be having labored breathing. The vet had
a really busy day so I left him there to be x-rayed and also to get
some tartar cleaned on his teeth. The vet called me an hour later. He'd
never gotten to the teeth - Duncan had gone into respiratory arrest
while he was xraying him. He had put him on a ventilator and called me.
And Duncan died before I could make it back to the office. The Xray
revealed several masses in his stomach.

I felt bad that I hadn't insisted on an Xray during that exam a few
months ago with another vet. But what if it had revealed lymphoma then?
There isn t really anything you can do to save them so instead of
losing him quickly I would have had a few more months wondering WHEN
I'd lose him. Maybe with some meds I'd have a few months with him - if
that. So don't knock yourself for not having had him checked out a few
days before - would it have really made any difference? It's such a
horrible feeling to know we can't save them so I think it was better
that he went quickly - as hard as it may hurt.


((((HUGS)))))

Laura and the Seattle Seven at
http://www.ferretocious.com

[Posted in FML 5929]