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| Lymphoma or Lymphosarcoma is the most common type of cancer in ferrets. Often, there are very few early symptoms of this disease. Some possible symptoms could be weakness, diarrhea, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes. Your ferret may also experience difficulty breathing or develop a cough. A complete blood work up and examination by your veterinarian is really the only definitive way to properly diagnose this disease. It usually strikes ferrets who are four years of age or older, however there is also a form of this cancer that strikes young ferrets as well. |
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| Treatment is usually chemotherapy and it is sometimes successful in putting the cancer into remission for six months to a year or more. However, this treatment is usually not curative. Unfortunately, due to vague early warning signs, the cancer may be at an advanced stage or will have spread to other organs by the time it is diagnosed. In this case you can discuss with your veterinarian measures that can be taken to make your ferret's remaining time more comfortable. |
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| To help catch this devastating disease at an early stage, have your ferret examined by your veterinarian at least once a year. Ask to have complete blood work drawn periodically, especially if your ferret has been ill or "out of sorts." Early detection is the best way to give your ferret a chance for treatment and remission. |
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| For more detailed information on this topic, please visit the web site of Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM |
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The information provided in this section is not intended to be used in place of proper veterinary care. This web site contains the opinions of the writer. The reader of this site must use this information at his or her own risk. |
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