Cutaneous Lymphoma:
http://www.smartgroups.com/vault/ferrethealth/Old%20YahooGroup%20Pics/
skin_lsa_1.jpg
 
a photo
http://www.smartgroups.com/pictures/openalbum.cfm?
GID=1423922&AlbumID=4938777
 
pictures of a milder case
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG12573
 
  including:
>We battled bad skin problems with my girl Nana for a little while,
>seeing tiny improvements here and there (or so I thought) with
>antibiotics, ivermectin, various shampoos, etc, etc, etc. But it
>never really improved much and in fact was getting worse and spreading.
>Once we biopsied, the mystery was revealed and she was diagnosed with
>cutaneous lymphoma.  The good news is that her skin is now totally
>normal; she was put on isotretinoin (accutane) and it is incredible how
>it has cleared this up.  She still has lymphoma internally and chronic
>kidney disease, but her skin looks great, and she's not itchy any more.
 
(There are more in the archives.)
 
Mites that can affect feet:
 
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG9188
 
including:
>...ferrets can get both Sarcoptes and Demodex mites, although they
>are not common in ferrets.  Sarcoptes is contagious to people, but is
>easily cured.  It is also difficult to find on a skin scraping, as
>they will burrow into the skin, so you may have to do several deep
>skin scrapings to find them.  If you do find them under a microscope,
>you can pick them out as they have triangular spines on their backs
>which is unique to Sarcoptes.  The FDA approved treatment is
>Revolution, although Ivermectin and Frontline are also used with
>pretty good success.  Usually diagnosis is by response to treatment,
>rather than discovery of the mites, since it is so hard to find them
>from a skin scraping.
 
and
 
>Demodex mites are found on most animals normally without any
>problems... usually only become problematic in animals with suppressed
>immune systems, or in some cases in association with a debilitating
>disease.  The isolation of a few Demodex mites from a skin scraping is
>not considered diagnostic... however a very large number of mites found
>in association with clinical signs can be considered a diagnosis.  The
>FDA treatment is Mitaban (Amitraz), and it is also about the only
>treatment that works - Demodectic mange is not easily cured.  Demodex
>is host specific - not contagious to people.
 
(More in the archives, including more recent ones.)
 
Some have also run into foot problems with allergies, especially with
wood litters.
 
Of course, Canine Distemper also causes foot problems as one of the
symptoms.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4955]