>From:    "Nancy J. Donnelly" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: NECK SWELLING
>
>... Now, however, Sam is becoming very fat!  What bothers me, though, is
>that in the past few days his neck has gotten very large (twice his usual
>size).  There is no pain, no lumps or nodules, no difficulty eating (eats
>all the time), and no trouble pooping.  It is strange, though... his neck
>is out like a weight-lifter's.  Is there anything I should worry about or
>look for?...
 
Hi Dan.  You might have a vet check out his lymph nodes, behind his front
armpits and back kneecaps, and also on each side of his neck.  Swollen nodes
can mean your fuzzies fighting off infection, or has lymphosarcoma.  Your
vet might try a course of antibiotics, or remove a node for pathology.
 
BUT... you already say there are no lumps or nodules, so perhaps it's just
fat.  We have a guy, Petey, with a huge winter neck, too, though it's wider
than average anatomically.  He puts on a full pound for winter in just a
couple months, including this big neck.  And our Claudette got very fat
after giving birth, and her neck nodes could be seen jutting from her neck.
I was terrified and took her to the vet three times, and she was put on
amoxicillin.  Turned out this was fat pads, too.  You say Sam's neck got big
in a couple days.  One other thing I've noticed about my winter fuzzies is
they get sleeker and sleeker, then in a couple days they puff up like fuzzy
marshmellows.  Could he have puffed?  My guess: If a ferret has put on a lot
of weight and is otherwise perky, enlarged nodes may well be fat pads.
That's why it pays to check the lymph nodes out regularly.  We give a little
exam after ear cleaning, checking for lumps, bumps, and growths.  And,
everyone gets weighed.  It was only the ongoing weighing that kept me from
freaking when Petey put on a pound for the winter.  I knew he'd taken one
whole pound off for the summer.  The weight record comes in real handy if a
fuzzy gets sick, too.
 
>From:    Laurie Murchie <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: The Breathtakingly Beautiful, Heartbreakingly Sick Nala
 
What a beautiful and heartbreaking tale... :( that I pray has a happy
ending.  Nala, Slinky, TB, and friends - you are in my hopes and prayers...
 
Lynn Mc.
[Posted in FML issue 2127]