Derek, our MF (?) male of about four, is going in for a spleen removal on Thursday, July 8th. The vet, Dr. R. Dahlhausen of Cincinnati, a respected area ferret vet, has monitored the spleen's progressive enlargement and thinks it's time to remove it. Understandably, there's personal concern for Derek. Can anyone out on the FML net shed any advice on the after operation recovery, care, etc? The little guy is reasonably active, eats well, plays with his favorite toys, but his excess baggage obviously makes walking a bit unsteady. He's also sleeping most of the day, but he always has been something of a sleeper. He has had hair loss at the base of his tail for nearly two years now and this spring began to shed more on his rump. The vet says he'll look at the adrenals while removing the spleen. So, any first-person accounts of experience with spleen removal would be very much appreciated. How such a little guy could capture the love of so many people attests to what wonderful creatures ferrets are -- but then again, you all know that or wouldn't be reading this. Al Wiebe [Posted in FML issue 2731]