I do not know if this info is going to be helpful. However, I hope sharing my experience would benefit someone's ferret kid. I recently lost my ferret boy, Carlin, to lymphoma. In the weeks prior to his death, I took Carlin to the vet when I noticed his abdomen had begun to swell. My vet believed it was fluid build up. He took a sample of the fluid from Carlin's abdomen. The color of the fluid looked like a strawberry milkshake. Our vet concluded it was a chylous effusion secondary to lymph vessel obstruction secondary to tumors. (Note: I had my vet write down the diagnosis for me so I would not forget it). Initially, my vet decided not to do anything, believing it was the less risky option given Carlin's age (7 1/2 years). Despite his swollen abdomen and tiring out quickly when he and his sister were out of their cage for playtime, Carlin was doing okay. However, Carlin's abdomen continued to swell over the next week. In hopes of extending Carlin's quality of life, I agreed to let my vet drain the fluid from Carlin's abdomen. He drained a total of 14cc's of strawberry milkshake colored fluid from Carlin's abdomen. Carlin recovered without any complications. He was doing well for a week or so until the fluid started to build back up in his abdomen. This time I could tell by looking in his eyes, Carlin had lost his fighting spirit and was no longer happy. I decided not put Carlin through another procedure. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge two days before Thanksgiving. The only thing I was thankful for that day was Carlin was no longer suffering. I hope he was able to reunite with his brother, Avery, his sister, Erin, and his best friends, Marcel and Donny. Thanks for letting me share. Lisa and Ferret Clan: Freya, Siduri, Nonnie, Mony and Snowball. RIP: George 1/13/09, Carlin 11/24/09, Bear, 12/17/09, and Lottie, 12/23/09 [Posted in FML 6584]