Dear FML friends,
 
Is about Gigio, some of you have already heard about him previously as he
has had some mast cell tumors and one chordoma removed in the past.  He
is now 7 years and 3 months old.  He has been wearing melatonin implants
for a year and a half by now and hasn't shown any signs of adrenals
(confirmed by a Tenesee panel study a year ago).  But now I have found
a tumor on him, to me it feels like a big one, almost the size of a
grapefruit, oval shaped, right in the junction of the inner part of the
thigh with the trunk.  You know that part of their bodies sometimes is a
bit fatty, and as it is also very soft, the tumor may have been hidding
beneath every time he was tummy side up.  I just noticed it yesterday by
chance, I touched his skin there and felt hardness, so I touched again
and there was this hard, well formed tumor.
 
I really don't know for how long this thing could have been there,
probably it has been growing slowly and is just now that I can notice
it, but it could be also that it has grown too fast, in just few weeks,
I am cluless here.  I brought him to the vet and Gigio was scheduled for
surgery this friday morning (please keep him in your thoughts) and the
tumor will be send to the lab for analysis.
 
Any idea of what type of tumor could be in this area of his body?  As
he has a propensity to develop mast cell tumors on his skin, is it
possible that this is a mast cell tumor that has grown inside his body
this big?  He hasn't any other symptom, he eats well, goes to bathroom
well, is very lively and still playful for his age.
 
The vet said that he hole that the tumor will leave after removal, will
require the use of a tubing from the inside to the outside to drain the
excess of liquid that may build up in his body.  Does this sound like
a common practice?  How long is this tubing usually left?  Should I be
worried that this could be an opened entrance for germs to his body,
What particular care do I have to take while he is having this tubing
in his body?
 
Thank you in advance for your valuable comments, I am very worried as
this little ferret is not a youngster any more, and also not knowing
what kind of tumor are we talking about is not reassuring.
 
Best regards to everybody,
Caterina and Gigio.
[Posted in FML issue 5323]