Earlier this evening as I was getting my two ferrets ready to go back in their cage I happened to scoop up my little girl, Bear, and flip her over on her back in my arms. I was shocked to discover she has a giant lump on her back end, near her tail. It's a bit larger than the size of a marble and feels very solid to the touch. One area of it is very red and looks almost like a pimple. It doesn't seem to fit the descriptions of basal tumors or mast cell tumors that I've read so I'm wondering if it could be either a cyst or possibly a bug bite. Our other ferret has a small rash on his back (almost healed after being washed daily for a few days with antibacterial soap) and we've found several spiders in the house lately. If it is some sort of tumor or cyst, is surgery the only option? How soon would it need to be removed? And approximately how much would this type of surgery cost? (We are unfortunately not made of money.) If it is a bug bite what can we do to help it heal? What other possibilities are there for this lump? I've posted a picture of the affected area at http://www.totalwaste.net/ferret Thank you for any information you can give me. Liz [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 3588]