[Please remember to send your messages to [log in to unmask] If you send them to cunyvm.cuny.edu, it bounces them to me, and I have to hand-mangle them for inclusion. This particular message went to the right place, but I notice another copy (plus three previous ones) went to the LISTSERV. If, when you do a reply in your mailer, and your mailer says to the listserv, something's busted. FML issues come out with "Reply-to:" [log in to unmask] If it's not using that for replies, your mailer is broken and should be fixed. I will have to check thru the other messages you sent to see whether they also went out on the FML.] To Chris: Sorry to hear about Mocha. The history of markedly swollen lymph nodes with a diagnostic fine-needle aspirate is good evidenceof lymphosarcoma. I would expect a good initial response to the prednisone, but the clinical behavior of most lymphomas is that they initially respond, but in a few months they come back with a vengeance and won't be stopped. I am interested that your lab says that their fine-needle aspirates are always positive. I would like to see how they achieve this - if you could provide me some information I would greatly appreciate it. (I always ask for tissue to confirm a diagnosis.) [The lab did ask for a tissue sample. It was the vet that said "they've never missed on a fine-needle biopsy", so we didn't bother with a tissue sample. If you're still interested, I can find out the precise name of the lab.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Drake concerning fleas: I think just about anyone who makes the mistake (as I did) of taking their ferrets outside during the summer runs a great risk of picking up fleas. We have been battling a low-grade infestation since July. Any pyrethrin-based shampoo from your vet will be fine on ferrets - stay away from organophosphate or carbamate-based shampoos, though. If the vet recommends it for kittens, then it will probably be okay for ferrets too. (I use Adams' at home). We also bomb on a regular basis. It's been a rather trying autumn for us this year... ____________________________________________________________________________ To Lin Richard - From time to time, I will attempt to post short articles concerning health items on ferrets on this list. Please feel free to use them in your newsletter, as anyone else may. I don't have a long list of prepared articles to send, so I will instead try to post something each week on a disease of interest. Wish me luck. [Great! Sukie might want to collect these for inclusion in the health FAQ or an auxiliary one.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To James Garriss concerning spaying: Your females can be spayed at almost any time. It is better, however, not to spay during estrus for several reasons - if the animal has been in estrus for a long time, it may have decreased red blood cell counts, which ideally would be best brought up over 25% before surgery is performed. Additionally, the surgery has less of a chance of serious blood loss if the animal is out of estrus. Check with your vet and have him run blood tests to determine whether your animals can be spayed immediately. Animals that have low blood counts can be brought out of estrus by injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and then spayed when their blood cell counts increase. Estrus in most female ferrets is signified by swelling of the extrernal genitalia. There is occasionally a thin discharge, but it is the overall size of the vulva which is the most obvious. If you're not going to breed, it is advisable to spay as quickly as possible - unspayed females run a high risk of health problems not too far off down the road... Bruce Williams, DVM [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 0622]