Please note: I am not a ferret expert, and I did not write, nor did I independently verify, all the information in this file. I have done my best to include only accurate and useful information, but I cannot guarantee that what is contained in this file, whether written by me or by one of the contributors, is correct, or even that following the advice herein won't be harmful to you or your ferret in some way. For advice from an expert, you may wish to consult one of several books available, or, especially in the case of a suspected medical problem, a veterinarian who is familiar with the treatment of ferrets. FERRET MEDICAL FAQ -- LYMPHOSARCOMA Last modified: 31 Oct 94 Version: 1.2 ------------------------------ Subject: CONTENTS *** Lymphosarcoma *** (1) Lymphosarcoma (Midwest Hospital) (2) Lymphoma (Dr. Erdman) (3) Lymphosarcoma treatment (4) Ferret Medical FAQ copyright and redistribution information ------------------------------ Subject: (1) Lymphosarcoma (Midwest Hospital) Taken from Ferret Senior Citizens and their Special Needs Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital Lymphosarcoma This cancer is not restricted to older ferrets. It also may occur in young animals, but is usually rapidly fatal. In the older pet, it tends to hide unnoticed, with no symptoms for months or years, then suddenly appear. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. The cause is unknown, but research is currently being done on a possible viral origin. Signs vary, and as already stated, many animals have no outward signs for a long period. Disease in these animals may be detected by abnormalities in the complete blood cell count. Noticeable changes in other animals may include any of the following signs: swollen lymph nodes, enlarged spleen (there are many causes of enlarged spleens), wasting, lethargy, poor appetite, difficulty breathing, chronic diarrhea or hind leg weakness. The diagnosis is from a combination of a complete blood cell count and either a biopsy of a lymph node or a bone marrow biopsy. X-rays may be helpful in cases where the cancer is in the chest. Treatment is achieved through chemotherapy, the details of which can be discussed with your veterinarian. We have had a 75% success rate with chemotherapy with life being prolonged for 6 months to 3 years post treatment. Most ferrets tolerate the therapy very well and have few side effects. Even those cases that are not good chemotherapy candidates, can be helped to continue a quality life with the use of steroids. ------------------------------ Subject: (2) Lymphoma (Dr. Erdman) Roger McMillian forwarded the following information, written by Dr. Susan Erdman: (Dr. Susan Erdman was kind enough to visit the June meeting of the GCFA [Greater Chicago Ferret Association] and she gave an excellent slide presentation on the work she and Dr. James Fox are doing on ferret lymphomas at M.I.T.) Lymphoma is a very common cancer in ferrets, comprising about 20% of all reported neoplasms. It is probably the most common tumor in young ferrets. Lymphomas frequently occur in combination with pancreatic and adrenal tumors in older ferrets, and it is probably more common than we realize. Occasionally related or cohabitating ferrets will develop lymphoma which is also observed in lymphomas in cats with Feline Leukemia Virus. Not surprisingly, viruses have also been suspected of causing lymphoma in ferrets. Although no causal virus has been identified, it is probably best to avoid introducing new ferrets into cohabitating groups of ferrets which have many lymphomas. Manifestations of malignant lymphoma vary with the age of the ferret. Young ferrets usually become suddenly ill. Some owners report a ferret that seemed normal one day and was discovered very weak the next day. Ferrets may have difficulty breathing because of a large chest tumor. Some develop a very large spleen that fills the abdomen. Others get very large lymph nodes around the throat, armpits and knees. Tissue aspirates and biopsies are needed to confirm lymphoma because sometimes a node that appears to be enlarged is actually a fat pad in a ferret with a healthy appetite. Ferrets with internal involvement may have diarrhea or difficulty urinating or defecating. Radiographs usually reveal the characteristic soft tissue swellings of in the chest and abdomen. Although a few young ferrets respond well to chemotherapy, the prognosis for long term survival and well-being is poor, especially in ferrets which are less that one year of age upon diagnosis. Getting an early diagnosis may increase life expectancy slightly with much supportive care and chemotherapy. A young ferret should be playful and have a good appetite, so if your ferret has a change of appetite or attitude, contact your veterinarian for a thorough exam. Older ferrets have more variable disease. Some develop sudden disease like that of younger ferrets. Others have a prolonged illness that begins with periods of weakness, poor appetite and weight loss that may go on for several years. The earliest changes appear to occur in the spleen and blood, and may be detectable by your veterinarian using palpation of an enlarged spleen or interpretation of changes in the blood counts. A sample of the affected tissue is necessary to confirm the disease. You veterinarian and pathologist can evaluate the tissue cell distribution and cell division that help predict whether the tumor will be rapidly progressive. Many of these older ferrets do very well for many years following the diagnosis of lymphoma with minimal chemotherapy. Some drugs such as steroids, which are used therapeutically for beta cell tumors of the pancreas may provide some chemotherapeutic benefit for lymphoma as well. Older ferrets should be examined regularly by a veterinarian, and any ferret demonstrating recurrent poor appetite or lethargy should be examined more frequently. Early diagnosis of disease gives a much better prognosis and allows you to make informed decisions about the health management decisions of all of your ferrets. One final point: an enlarged spleen is common with lymphoma in ferrets, but has been associated with many other conditions in ferrets as well. Even certain anesthetics can cause a big spleen. Because ferret spleens can fluctuate in size over days or weeks, an enlarged spleen should only be removed if it poses an immediate threat to health such as splenic rupture, or confirmed splenic lymphoma or other cancer. [IFNS] ------------------------------ Subject: (3) Lymphosarcoma treatment Katie Fritz sent the following report on the treatment protocol one of her ferrets received for lymphosarcoma: Thought the list folks would be interested in the treatment protocol, which follows below. Bandit is being treated by Dr. K. Ann Jeglum of West Chester, PA. Her phone is 215-696-1585. She told Jeff that she has treated a number of ferrets with this protocol and apparently most have gone into remission. She says we should see no side effects from this first treatment, and so far we have not. I talked with Dr. Karen Rosenthal at the Animal Medical Center, who oversaw Bandit's surgical treatment there, and she says this is the same treatment they use for ferret lympho at AMC, although she says they do blood testing (CBC) every 1-2 weeks. She says their best case went 8 months on this treatment. The language is mostly Greek to me, but you can pass it on to your vets. I know our vet student-in-residence, Jenny Au, will be interested (If she hasn't already seen this). Anyway, here it is (I know it says Feline but this is what they are using): FELINE LYMPHOMA CHEMOTHERAPY PROTOCOL K. Ann Jeglum, V.M.D. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Oncology This protocol has been shown to be effective in the multicentric, alimentary and renal forms of feline lymphoma (Jeglum, JAVMA, 1987). Several modifications have been made since publication to improve efficacy and ease of administration. The LA-COP protocol should be used in the mediastinal form. WEEK 1 L-aspariginase 400 iu/kg IM, SC or IP WEEK 2 Vincristine 0.03 mg/kg IV (Do not extravascate) WEEK 3 Cytoxan 12.5 mg (1/2 of 25 mg tablet) once daily for 4 days WEEK 4 Vincristine 0.03 mg/kg IV WEEK 5 Methotrexate 2.5 mg tablet one dose Blood counts do not need to be evaluated unless the cat is showing clinical signs of toxicity such as anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and/or diarrhea. It is recommended to continue weekly cycles for the first 6 months after which treatment intervals may be extended if in remission. END OF PROTOCOL Dr. Rosenthal says AMC does CBC's every 1-2 weeks to monitor whether the progress of the cancer, but would defer to Dr. Jeglum in this case since she is treating Bandit. Addendum from Katie as of July 1994: Bandit started that protocol in March 1992, went into remission in July 1993, and in July 1994 is still disease-free!! ------------------------------ Subject: Ferret Medical FAQ copyright and redistribution information This compilation is copyright 1994 by Pamela L. Greene. It may be freely distributed by electronic, paper, or other means, provided that it is distributed in its entirety, including this notice, and that no fee is charged apart from the actual costs of distribution. (For-profit service providers such as Compuserve and America Online are granted permission to distribute the file provided that no additional fee beyond standard connection-time charges is levied.) Those portions of this file written by others remain the property of their respective authors. Anyone who wishes to is encouraged to include a World Wide Web hypertext link to the main Index page of this document set wherever it might be appropriate. If you do make a link, please email me a note saying so!