Sly's getting Surgery

[kainslie1]

Hopefully this week =[

I'm so torn, I'm not sure if you remember but when I got sly, he had a huge penis...(ha!) I brought him to the vet and they said he has something secreeting fluid under his prepuce.

After three different vets - I decided to leave it, because it wasn't getting worse, and the one vet said to just pop it at home (which I didn't feel comfortable doing so I didn't..)

Last week it went from a marble soft bump to a red hard bump, I brought sly to the vet, and it started producing a discharge.

None of the vet's said they will do the surgery since it's beyond any of their ability. I guess sly is getting his prepuce cut off, along with whatever tumor, cyst, cancer whatever also. They said it may not end there though - because the prepuce is basically the forskin - if they cut that off, they would end up having the penis hanging out. So then they have to reconstuct the penis..

The vet said I could a) go to the vet i'm going to, and just get the tumor out and hope that's it, and it wont come back
b) go to a specialist, which the surgery can go up to 4000 dollars and still not be successful

Is there a way to tell if a cancer has spread or not? The vet is thinking it is a cancer (and the only cancer down there is extremely aggressive)

bah, i'm so frusterated.. I wish I could get an answer as to if I should wait it out, or if I should get surgery. I don't want them to start surgery to find all his organs are affected with cancer then then just putting him down there..

He's fine now, he eats drinks plays ect, and that's why I want to get the surgery... but i'm also in a tight situation with school and my dogs surgery... =[

This probably doesn't even make sense.. i'm talking all over the place hah =[ this is more of a rant then anything.. i'm just so scared i'm going to lose him soon. =[

[Deleted]

Your little boy will be in my prayers

:-(

[Sherry]

Have they tested it for cancerous cells? I think that can be done. It might be a first step. Good luck with your boy

[tinytippytoes]

Rant all you want.(((HUGS)))) Ill say a pray for you two. Keep us posted.

[Heather]

A healing candle is lit for wee Sly. I wish there was an easy answer. There is bloodwork that they can do to see elevated white count. It doesn't tell for sure though. Another option is an ultrasound or xray. These are certainly easier and cheaper than starting a major surgery only to loose the fuzz on the table I will hope for a positive outcome for your little one. Good luck please keep us posted
ciao

[Deleted]

I'm praying for you and Sly.

[shilohismygirl]

I'll be keeping you all in my thoughts!

[Deleted]

You may want to talk to the vet about the possibility of doing the following:

1. Aspirate of the mass: The mass itself is potentially cancerous. But the an evaluation of the cell structure may provide clues to the type of cancer involved (localized vs. metastatic potential)

2. Aspirate the inguinal lymph nodes: this may indicate whether or not the cancer has spread.

3. Complete blood workup: this may indicate the presence of cancer and/or overall health of the ferret.

Although the above will cost a but of money, it may help you with making any decisions. I recommend discussion your options for evaluating prognosis with your vet...you could end up spending a whole lo of money on a procedure that may not extend your ferret life (not to mention that it sounds like an unpleasant procedure.

Send hugs and fert prayers to you and Sly
-jennifer

[kainslie1]

Thanks for the thoughts guys =[

Heather - I asked if an xray would show if there is a tumor or not and she said that it's a low chance that it would show up on the xray (I wanted to do that before surgery) She said everything sounds clear, and feels good, but she can't get around the top of the liver to feel there. and also can 'garentee' that there isn't any 'cancer' in the lungs(&heart) by listening to them but she said they sound good.

I don't know if they have an ultra sound machine there.. or she may have just not suggested it becayse you probably need to be under? so he isn't wiggling?

We also thought of doing biopsy, but that means being put under also.. so might as well do surgery..

Jennifer - We have tried aspirating the mass twice. Twice as a liquid. We were going to do it again last week, but she decidied she probably shouldn't poke and prod it and open the 'wound' up. due to bacteria of maybe not cleaning it 100% and wait for hopefully surgery this week...

I also asked about the bloodwork, and she said it's still 50/50 on if we'd get results on if it's cancer or not, so she said to not waste the money and try keeping it for surgery if she can get a qualified vet to do it.

We haven't talked about Aspirate the inguinal lymph nodes..

The vet has to get back to me this week.. to see if she will attempt the surgery or not, she said she's done something close to a rabbit, but not a ferret..

It's so frusterating.. she also said it could be adrenal, and the only symptom is this enlarged prepuce cyst thing. She said since adrenal is just a bulid up of sexual hormones - and so they could just be collecting in his prepuce? I asked the next steps to that and she said hopefully just lupron but she doesn't want to waste my money on lupron shots then find out it's not adrenal..

[Sherry]

If it's not adrenal, you'll find out within a couple of shots of the lupron. It will have no effect whatsoever. So you'd be out $90 if they are still charging the same amount there.

[Deleted]

Lupron would probably be cheaper than surgery.

[kainslie1]

Lupron doesn't hurt the body though, right?

If we give him lupron, would the 'cyst' disappear?

[Deleted]

Lupron won't hurt him, whether he's adrenal or not.

[kainslie1]

Okay, Thanks that's what I thought.

[dookdook]

I'm sorry you're in a rough patch with Sly. I will keep you guys in my thoughts. <3