Been there, done that... Last summer, my 3 yo fem Chipper had what I considered an enlarged and hard upper waist/tummy (she weighed *more* than she did in the winter!). Vet palpitated her and found no enlarged organs or obstruction. Told us to come back in 4 weeks for another once over. Upon return visit, weight was an ounce different, but my conservative vet felt no reason to do an x-ray, and concluded it was just additional weight gain and distribution to upper waist instead of hind quarters like my other ferret, Gina. Most importantly, always take your pet to the vet if you are concerned about it's health - I'll pay the $30 office visit any time to ease my mind. Shari Gunter Triangle Ferret Lovers club, North Carolina http://www.trifl.org [Posted in FML issue 2181]