Fraggle had surgery Thursday and while still in guarded condition, is eating A&D diet on her own, with small pieces of boiled chicken added. She went from licking the goop off my fingers to eating out of a bowl in two days. Tomorrow, she goes on Bobs Chicken Gravy full time. Her belly is still a little swollen looking and she is still doing a faint grunting sound when I pick her up, but overall, I think her recovery is very promising. Her glued incision looks very nice. I first noticed two small bb-sized lumps about 3 weeks ago during a monthly physical check-up I give each month for each ferret. I have a form--a check list really-of various things I look at, like weight, ears, ears, nose, muscle tone, teeth, etc., with an area for notes. I noted the size and position of the bumps I found, and made a vet appointment to have them looked at by a professional. Within two weeks, the bb-sized nodules had grown quite large, and felt like a new type of organ had grown inside Fraggle. Alarmed, we scheduled a surgery to see what we could see. The tumor was simply amazing. About the size of a thumb (really, it was HUGE), it appeared to be two fluid-filled "balloons" of tissue connected together, growing off a thin stalk-like vessel, which came off the vena cava. At the point where the two cysts joined was what appeared to be something that superficially looked like adrenal tissue. Strangely, both adrenals were in their proper location, and neither showed signs of disease. Of course I took lots of photos, and when I get the pathology report, I will place the material in the Geek's List repository for future reference. The tumor was clearly life threatening, and had I not noticed the growth as rapidly as I did, Fraggle may well have not had much of a chance. Also, Fraggle is old; I'm not sure how old, but probably 6-7 years, so some people might have hesitated at surgery at this age. I know her quantity of life is limited, but clearly the tumor was impacting the QUALITY of life. I simply had no choice and I am very happy I did not hesitate a second. Fraggle is ALREADY feeling better; she even bit a friend who was driving me about. I told her Fraggle was freaked from the surgery and blind, but noooooooooo. She had to stick her finger in the cage. She deserved it. Tonight, Fraggle is sleeping quietly in the hospital cage, accompanied by Sam Luc. I always place a second ferret in hospital cages for warmth and physical contact (usually one of their sleeping partners or an older quiet ferret). I personally think a second ferret is a better "heater" than any heating pad, and the physical contact is beneficial in ways science can't begin to explain. Sammy has been gently grooming her for the last few hours. Most of the time, he is just curled around her, keeping her warm, giving her a feeling of security, and licking the A&D off her chin. Thanks to all who sent in nice notes and greeting cards. They were very appreciated. Bob C, Fraggle and 15 Mo' Ferrets That Were Turning Blue [Posted in FML issue 3045]