Hello everyone!
 
I just recently started receiving FML and this is my first time to post.
I wanted to add to the reasons for enlarged spleens seen so commonly in
ferrets.  Low grade chronic infections and lymphoma are certainly reasons.
The list also includes: insulinoma, adrenal tumors, cardiomyopathy, or the
dreaded idiopathic reasons (meaning we haven't got a clue as to why your
little one has an enlarged spleen).
 
The big thing to take away from this - splenomegaly is TYPICALLY secondary
to another problem.  Unless the spleen is deformed or "bumpy" I wouldn't
rush to surgery.  The best thing you can do is find the primary cause.  One
of the best courses of action for this is bloodwork.  A General Health
Profile (GHP) will cover how most of the organs are functioning and tell
you what the blood cells (RBC's and WBC's) are doing.  These are good
indicators about the general health of your ferret.  (As an aside - I do
this for all my ferrets that are past 3 years as a preventative measure.
This also gives me a baseline for where we started in this particular
ferret once they do get sick.) Not to be an alarmist - but another reason
for a bluish tint to your ferret's abdomen is internal bleeding.  This is
the worst case scenario.  I have a ferret, Quincey, that has an enlarged
spleen and also a bluish tint to his abdomen.  In his case the bluish tint
was because of his spleen but I had another poor little baby named Tayna
who began slowly bleeding internally from a large tumor.  Here it looked
more like a bruise but - still a bluish tint.
 
Good luck
Angela
[Posted in FML issue 2989]