Hi everyone, I am back to ask more about the anal gland situation with my ferret, Treeroo. I had him to two different vets who both agree it is his anal gland. It is VERY enlarged and sore looking and apparently is sore as he squirms when it is messed with. It is one-sided. I am confused....I thought when ferrets are descented/neutered....they have their anal glands removed. Please, I am sorry if I just made a fool of myself. I do know he is an MF ferret and he is about 4 years old. He has never had anal gland issues before. He was sick and treated about half a year ago with a real bad stomach ailment. Other than that, he has been a picture of health. My question.....this "lump" aka anal gland...appears to be growing. Does it automatically mean cancer if it grows??? Or can any tumor metastasize and NOT be cancer?? Also, how risky is anal gland surgery? I mean I know any surgery can be risky, but one vet seems to think it is a piece of cake surgery and the other said it could be tricky. I am having a board certified vet surgeon do the procedure. She is VERY good. All local vets refer all difficult cases to her. Also, what can I expect after the surgery? I was told they would probably leave it open to "drain". Is there any chance of him bleeding to death?? And will I have to take any special care when he comes home?? What are the recovering expectations? I have searched the FML archives, but really did not find much to answer my concerns. Thank you to all of you who have responded to my prior post seeking advice this last week. I apologize for not responding to each of you prior to this. I have been pretty sick with severe neck pain and migraine and really hadn't had much of a chance to do much this past week which has also made it difficult to do too much research on my own. Treeroo goes in for surgery this Tuesday. So please keep him in your prayers. I do not want to lose him (or any of the others)!! He is the clown of my group!! Thank you! Melanie [Posted in FML issue 5229]