I tried sending this to your e-mail address and it bounced back so I hope
you don't mind that I post this to the FML...
 
Thank you for your kind words regarding Tinder...
 
Unfortunately I have no specific information on lypomas.  I know that it is
the word to describe "fat" deposits which Tinder had so much of that it was
literally choking her internal organs.  I am including in this e-mail the
necropsy report from one of the vets that saw her.  You may want to copy
it and take it to your vet to read.  I have also included Tinder's history
from what I know and the questions that were brought up considering her
condition.  All are valid and you may want to bring them up with your vet
as well.
 
I am presently responding to other people who are now seeing the same thing
in their ferrets that Tinder had and now possibly yours too.  I am thinking
that with the numbers that are cropping up, at least 4 now, maybe 5, that
there is indeed something that needs to be looked into.  I am thinking that
I may have to post something to the FML to get those involved to pool their
resources.  Other vets on the list may be able to offer assistance.  I hope
this helps.
 
This report is verbatim and is posted to the FML by permission of Dr. Kent
Morley, D.V.M.
 
  The hair coat was rough in appearance and the abdomen was greatly
  distended.  The subcutaneous fat pads of the inguinal area were very
  large.  Incision into the abdomen revealed large amounts of adipose
  tissue surrounding the abdominal organs and no abnormal amounts of fluid.
  The fat was extensive, filling the abdominal cavity.  Along the lumbar
  area there were areas of adipose tissue approximately 1 cm x 3 cm that
  appeared dark red and greenish.  Samples were taken of these areas and
  sent to Central Laboratory for Veterinarians for histopathology.  The
  liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, large and small intestines and bladder
  were all identified and appeared to be normal.  The adrenal glands were
  not identified.  The thorax was opened and revealed large amounts of
  adipose tissue.  The heart and lungs both appeared normal.
 
  Histopathology results revealed the tissue samples to be normal adipose
  tissue with hemorrhage and scarring.  This is (sic) could possible be
  due to trauma, but occurred before euthanasia as demonstrated by normal
  scarring.
 
  In my professional opinion the results of this post mortem are
  undiagnostic.  Possiblities (sic) range from hormonal and metabolic
  to dietary abnormalities.  - Dr. Kent Morley, D.V.M.
 
Tinder's first problem came to us in the form of snoring.  At first I
thought it was cute and adorable.  It made her easier to find and I would
enjoy watching and hearing this little noise she made.  At the same time
her energy level had dropped off and it became apparent that something was
wrong.  After doing a thorough check of her body, we found a hard lump
under her throat.  An x-ray revealed that the lump was responsible for
pushing poor Tinder's trachea way over to one side and up causing the
airway to be partially blocked and therefore causing the snoring.  The
lump was removed surgically and the snoring stopped.  Tinder was first
found to have an unusual grape-like-cluster of a tumor in her neck in
October of '97.
 
It didn't take too long after that for Tinder to start putting on weight
which, at the time, was a good sign.  But by April we could see that the
weight gain was not stopping and that is when the vet diagnosed her with
kidney failure and that we would have her only a few more weeks.  My vet
was so sure that this was kidney failure and that her body, which felt full
of liquid, was filling will fluid and that there was no reason to put her
through a series of test to prove what he felt was the only thing it could
be.  Upon hearing how sure he was, I agreed with him and said that there
was no reason to put her in any more distress.  So no blood or other tests
were done.  She was placed on Lasix.  But after 6 months had passed instead
of a mere 6 weeks, which was the length of time given her to survive, the
kidney failure opinion no longer fit.  But unfortunately at this point she
was so big that she could not get around comfortably.  It was decided by
all that we should do the humane thing.  We decided that a necropsy would
be best to help us understand what had happened to her.  It turned out to
give us more questions than answers.
 
The vet and I discussed at length the possibilities of what could have been
the cause.  Diet: no different than our other ferrets, but it is a given
that her body may have processed her food differently.  Iams, Science Diet,
Eukanuba, raisins, linatone, fruit, licorice.  Treats and linatone given in
moderation.  She was an adoptee from a local shelter and I have no history
on her prior to my adoption.  She was about 1 year old when we got her.
She was about four when we had her euthanized.  Was this condition linked
to her previous surgery and that the removal of the grape-like cluster
started the growth of the lypomas?  As for the hematoma, it could have come
from a fall off the bed and landing wrong.  Maybe the male ferrets were
too rough with her.  My husband thinks that he may have stepped on her one
night on a trip to the bathroom but he said that as soon as his foot made
contact with her that his foot was off her.  We have no clue.  As for
removal of the fat prior to the euthanasia we have no idea if the fat
would have come back or not.  So many questions... so little answers.
 
I hope this helps you and would be interested to hear what you can find
out to help your little guy.  My thoughts are with you.  Good luck.
 
Betty
and Her Blur O'Fur
[Posted in FML issue 2930]