This messages should have been sent before Smokey's follow up note. I left out the FML by mistake when I sent it to the TRIFL. I'm sending it to explain how this tragedy got started. "": I have 3 ferrets Jim , Molly and Smokey. I recently changed them from a Vet here in Wake Forest to Dr. Brown on Medlin Dr. I haven't received your mailing yet, but I wanted to tell you my bad news about Smokey, our oldest he's about 6 and on the large side. Last thursday night I was checking his hemmeroid problem and noticed a large lump(grape size) on the opposite side of his hemmeroid. It was not quite protruding out yet. Dr. Brown saw him first thing friday, at first she thought it might have been a fistula that was empacted with something or some remnant of an anal gland (by the time I got Smokey there friday morning this thing was protruding out)smokey was anesthetized so she could try to determine what exactly this is. Dr. Brown was not able to get very much of anythimg out of it, alittle blood that's all. This mass is growing at a fast rate and Smokey is losing his ability to poop. Some of his bloodwork came back on sat. not really showing anything abnormal. His cytology labs did not come yet. I decided that due to his discomfort and inability to poop to let Dr. Brown remove this as soon as possible(monday at 8a.m.). Whether it is cancer or not is has to be removed. Smokey's appetite is great he dosen't act like there is anything wrong until he tries to poop. Then he strains and makes chirping like sounds and tries over and over to go. I gave him some laxatone sat. and today to keep him a little loose it seems to have helped a little tonight. Smokey's weight has been a factor I think with his hemmoroid problems, he is just big by nature. I kept Smokey at home with me over the weekend. I just couldn't leave him there, I thought I kept a good watch over these little guy's It surprises me this could happen so fast. Smokey was just at the Vet's about his teeth and he was checked from top to bottom a few weeks ago. I'm sorry this is long, I'm pretty upset about this whole thing. Please let me know if you have heard of anything like this. Thanks for listening.:""(END) The responses I received have been very helpful. It's the 3rd day after surgery and Smokey is coming along OK. I'm think he should be on some kind of antibiotic. We are going back to the Vet's thursday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed a miracle will happen and the pathology will come back with good results. Lorie Whitworth [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1710]