>My little runt of a ferret was dragging his left rear leg last night. >By the time we arrived at the vets (very ferret knowledgeable) office >this morning, he couldn't use either rear leg nor did he react to >pinching his legs or toes. > >X-rays showed a "moth eaten" bone loss appearance on his spine at about >his hip level and the vertabre just above. > >He was given an antibiotic injection and Orbax to continue for several >weeks at home. I'm praying it's a bone infection and not osteosarcoma. >My vet said if it's an infection, we should see an improvement in a few >days. > >In the meantime, I'm so afraid for Stubby. I realize a prognoses for >osteosarcoma is not good but would like to know what to expect and if >there's any treatment you recommend if it is osteosarcoma. I just >can't lose this special little guy. Dear X: The symptoms and radiographic signs that you describe, unfortunately, are much more likely to be a bone tumor rather than an infection. While osteosarcoma is a possibility, a much more likely possibility is a chordoma. Not all chordomas arise at the tip of the tail - they can pop up anywhere on the spinal column. The bad news is that these are extremely aggressive lesions which over time will invade and destroy the vertebra. With either a chordoma or an osteosarcoma in this area with this radiographic presentation, surgical excision is at this point only a stopgap measure and full excision is not possible. Clinical signs will probably continue to increase and movement will continue to degrade. Most animals are euthanized prior to pathologic fracture of the vertebra, but it is always a possibility. While waiting for several weeks to see if it is osteomyelitis is one way to go, a biopsy now would answer all of your questions. If it is truly an infection, it could also be used for a culture and sensitivity, or at least you would know that long-term high-dose antibiotics are required. If you decide to do a biopsy, I would be happy to evaluate it for you. If this is acceptable, I would also appreciate the ability to look at the radiograph, or at least a good digital representation of it. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM [Posted in FML issue 3477]