Sounds like it could be an apocrine tumor or apocrine cyst, though squamous cell is also among the other possibilities. Of that grouping, I'd hope for an apocrine cyst. Yes, definitely, have it checked to find out WHICH possible origin it is. Here is some slightly old info: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG133 http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4004 and there are more there. Dog flu/canine influenza is a variation of an influenza that was previously exclusively equine (equine influenza virus, H3N8) according to all I can find, but ask your vet, and if still unsure your vet can contact Edward Dubovi at Cornell University's Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, New York who researches this illness. Canine influenza can be spread among dogs by many routes, even from humans who have recently handled a sick dog and have not cleaned and changed well enough. It is highly contagious with close to 100% infection rate but about 80% get a mild illness that is confused with kennel cough (about a quarter of that number can be silent carriers). About 20% of dogs get serious infection. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Sept05/Dog_Flu.kr.html http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/aflu/Zoonosis.htm http://focosi.altervista.org/veterinarymedicine_carnivora.html Ferrets get Avian Influenza as do humans, digs, cats, large felines, and pigs as well as birds and some others, but so far I can't find them getting dog flu, but do check and let us all know what you learn. There is always room for more data. Ferrets are actually safer than many other pet species in terms of zoonoses, BTW, and some disease that both ferrets and humans get are more likely to pass from human to ferret than vice versa. http://exoticpets.about.com/od/healthandsafetyissues/f/zoonosis.htm http://www.wvu.edu/~rc/acuc/occ_ferrets.htm http://www.radil.missouri.edu/info/dora/FERRPAGE/zoon.html <http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/rabies/pdf/qvra-rabies.pdf> (esp starting on page 39) http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/3035/bushmeat/bush4.html > [Not sure how Sukie is involved, but anonymous it is :-) BIG] Maybe the person confused the Ferret MAILING List with the Ferret HEALTH List? We regularly get OT posts sent to the FHL that the sender meant to send to the FML, Bill. On the FML Bill Gruber is the moderator. On the FHL the moderators are Pam Sessoms; Mike Janke; Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM; Troy Lynn Eckart; Patty Kaczorowski; and I. Sukie (not a vet) Current FHL address: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth People can join there or can send a blank mail to the automated joining address: [log in to unmask] and then follow the directions. (The second is recommended for those having problems with Yahoogroups web settings, and afterward send a blank mail from your subscribed address to [log in to unmask] to get the digest instead of individual mails. ) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml [Posted in FML 5521]