Hi.  I have a question.  I have a ferret named Jenna.  Last night, my
husband and I were discussing how Jenna has just been laying around and is
letting us hold her for up to 10 minutes at a time and how we thought that
was a little strange, since she loves to play.  She is going on 5, and I
was thinking that maybe she is just slowing down.  I picked her up and
held her, and said to her, "Gee, you haven't lost your winter weight" and
I poked her belly.  When I did that I felt something kind of hard.  I felt
around with my fingers and it feels like maybe a petrified-like organ or
something.  I had her on her back, and it is on the left side.  It starts
at the middle of her belly and goes towards her side and upwards towards
her ribcage.  It is about 2 - 2 1/2 inches long by 1 - 1 1/2 inches wide.
I did a long search on the internet trying to find anatomy pictures
without much luck.  I did view some xrays, and am wondering if maybe it
is her spleen?  Husband is wondering if it is her kidney, but I don't know
if you could feel her kidney by touching her stomach.  I called her vet,
who's answering service referred me to a 24 hour hospital, and I called
there.  They said to keep an eye on her and to see if she is
eating/drinking/voiding ok, and if not or she turns for the worse, to
bring her in, otherwise I can wait until her vet opens on Tuesday.
 
What I am feeling is kind of flattish, meaning I can touch the underside
of it easily.  It does not seem to hurt her.  I checked my other ferret,
Amber, for comparison purposes.  I felt nothing in her like what I felt in
Jenna, and my husband concurred.  Does anyone have any ideas?  Am I being
foolish for not bringing her in to the 24 hour hospital (their exotic
specialist is out-she just had a baby, but they think someone there could
handle her...this makes me nervous) or am I just being over paranoid?  If
it is her spleen, what does that mean?  Could it be something other than
an organ?  (I know it is hard to tell without seeing the ferret for
yourself, but I have got to ask.)  Any input I can get on this would be
greatly appreciated.  Thanks.
 
Kelly White
Massachusetts
P.S. I also posted this on the FHL so if you belong to both lists, I
apologize for the repeat, but I want as much input as I can get.
[Posted in FML issue 3795]