Unfortunately, lymphoma will sometimes require you to put a ferret
to sleep before they are "ready" to go due to all of the things you
described. Sometimes a tumor makes it very hard for them to breathe,
as ferrets have lungs that are already somewhat limited in area for
them to expand due to their unique anatomy. If a ferret I have has an
x-ray showing involvement with the lungs, heart, or other chest area,
and the ferret is having issues eating or drinking for several days,
and prednisone has not helped - I have made the decision before to put
the ferret to sleep rather than suffer by eventually not being able to
breathe. However, this is always a case by case basis. Since your girl
is doing just fine, you're doing good - just when you see she is having
trouble, you'll know why, and your decision will be easier. They can
always do an x-ray to see what is being pushed or pressed on.

Lymphoma can involve rapid growth of tumors, and sometimes they will
be in very bad places - cutting off blood supply if they press on a
certain area in the abdomen; blocking the food from traveling through
intestines; all sorts of things. I've had these tumors go from pea
sized to ping pong ball sized overnight, requiring immediate surgery
to find the problem and see if the tumor is removable. I would say
out of over a dozen ferrets I have had with lymphoma, only 1 had
non-metastacized, removable lymph nodes. The rest, were usually either
xrayed or if the situation was dire, as in they lost much of their body
weight and were dying, were opened up to see if they could be saved
rather than do x-rays. These ferrets were put to sleep.

I did have one lymphoma fuzzy who just died right in the hallway. It
wasn't a stroke; the necropsy showed a tumor pressed on her vena cava,
thus cutting off her circulation.

I would like to know what medicine, if possible, your vet prescribed
for the peristalsis, since it could be very useful. I never thought
of that!

Good luck with your girl - I have seen ferrets live a few days to over
a year when diagnosed with lymphoma. It varies in aggressiveness and
that is why vets usually give a bad prognosis - that way you're
prepared for the worst, but it's always great when they prove the
vet wrong ;)

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6645]