Chordoma's are not painful if they're still small. However it may become uncomfortable to a ferret if they continue to grow. Surgery is not needed if it doesn't continue to grow and is not bothering your ferret. And not all chordomas continue to grow. I have a 4 year old male, Icarus, w/ a small chordoma. He's had one for months and it hasn't increased in size since it appeared. It's a little smaller than a pea and doesn't seem to be painful or affect him negatively in any way. So I guess your treatment should depend on the size and growth of your ferret's chordoma. [Posted in FML 7316]