AllBodySurgery.com
How much does cancer surgery cost for ferrets and is it worth it?
hi. i have two adorable pet ferrets, a girl named nickie and a boy named snowball. they're very young, both about two years. but recently ive noticed that snowball can barely walk...he slips on his two back legs and gets up and tries again. he's lost a lot of weight, too. nickie has been losing hair at the base of her tail since january. i took them to the vet, and she said they might have cancer and if they do (she'll check again), they'll need surgery. i heard that surgery is really risky, and sometimes it's just not worth it. but as more time passes, i'm afraid if i dont get them the surgery they need they'll die young and ill be devastated. wat should i do???
Public Comments
- I know it is hard, but the best thing may be to have them put down. An expensive and risky surgery is not something to do to an animal, in my opinion. I know it's hard because their fate is in your hands, but it may be better. Think of how much they may suffer having surgery...they get put under, which usually shortens their life. They have pain afterwords, and they don't even understand why. That's how I look at it. Why put them through it??
- the sign I saw said 'Cancer repair on ferrets - $30-$50', but I cannot vouch for correctness of the figure. this was in the mid atlantic states
- Your vet should be able to tell you if she thinks its worth surgery or to put them to sleep. I took the risk with three of my rats who had cancer but sadly the tumor was attached to their organs so they were put to sleep during surgery.
- Hey Girl, (I thought I saw the name Danielle when I first answered) First, My heart goes out to you! Your Kits sound Very Much Loved! About 6 years ago, I got my best friend and I, 2 Ferrets; Riot and Rhapsody. Riot needed a blocked kidney removed at age 2 and that cost $800. Early this year, Rhapsody needed nodules removed from her nerve endings, she had similar symptoms as your little boy. Her surgery and follow-up care was about $4000. She never recovered and eventually passed. One of the major problems was that in California, Ferrets are illegal. Rhapsody needed transfusions and we were only able to locate one person willing and able to give blood (the donor must be over a certain weight, under a certain age and usually male). This spring, we heard of a guy that had to give up his boy and girl or risk losing his apartment, so we adopted his two Kits. Now, Riot, the 6 1/2 year old, is getting to be like an old girl. Her vision is not as good, she is losing hair (it's not uncommon in certain breeds) at her tail. Her back legs are not as powerful as they used to be. I know that the average life span of a ferret is 9 years, but it's possible that she may not be with us as long as we would like. A couple of things that have helped: 1). I add Pedialyte (you can find it in the baby section of most any Grocery store or Target/Walmart) to their water bottles a few times per week. When Rhapsody was being cared for, they kept on injecting electrolytes into her. Add it to the water, don't give it to them straight. They like the Orange or Grape the most. (I also buy the generic when it is available -- there doesn't seem to be any difference other than price). 2). I give Riot her own time where she can eat FerretVite. It's a vitamin supplement. She has more energy after she eats it, but beware, it's also making her fat! My friend and I don't feel that she (Rhapsody) had good Veterinary care. The Vets didn't seem to agree on her treatments. I am listing two websites that will be able to answer some of your Medical and Care questions. Also, please feel free to contact me (send me an e-mail and I will answer you back so you have my address in your mail folder) anytime that you need to! If I can't answer your questions, I will try to get you an answer as soon as I can. The cost is ultimately going to be your final decision. I don't know if I knew ahead of time, if I would have spent so much on Miss Rhapsody, but it all boiled down to; She was just a little baby girl that never hurt nobody! Good luck and Nickie and Snowball are very lucky you are their Mom! James in San Diego
- I have three ferrets, two of which I have owned for 6 years. My vet basically told me the first time I took them in to him that it's not a matter of IF my ferrets will get cancer, it's a matter of WHEN. Ferrets are very cancer-prone and if you own them that is the risk that you take...however, I feel the rewards of owning fuzzies like the three I have are well-worth the risk and if my ferrets had cancer I would DEFINITELY get the surgery for them...of course that will depend on your veterinarian's diagnosis and the quality of life they would have after surgery. That first answer about putting them down is ridiculous...I don't think that person is a ferret owner. If your animal needs surgery, you don't just immediately put them down..that, to me, would be the very last option and only an option if I knew for certain that my ferret would be in pain and have no chance of ever recovering. You have to weigh your options. For me, it would never be a question of money...but hopefully, if you and your vet decide that surgery is the best option, you will find a way to pay for it. Many ferret owners I know have owned ferrets with cancer who have lived YEARS after having adrenal tumors removed. Please consult with some other ferret owners and talk to your veterinarian. If you would like to join, a great place to talk with other ferret owners is the Everything Ferret Forum.
