Ferret at emergency vet for vomitting, no food passing through intestines, no diagnosis yet

Question
Hello!

Carrot is just over 4 months old and last night he started vomiting almost completely out of nowhere.  He possibly ate something he shouldn't have (his sister's poop) but that would be silly if he did.

He's at the emergency vet still, has been there since about 1AM today.  They did a surgery and found no blockage, but they did discover an enlarged lymph node.  I'm assuming it was somewhere near the intestines as a previously done x-ray revealed uneven gas distribution in the intestines.  I'm not sure, though.

They sent in a sample of the lymph node (I guess) to be tested, but that's a 3-5 day wait.  I have savings for this situation, but had only saved $1,000.00.  We've broken that mark and are still going, and no diagnosis is in sight.  A 3-5 day wait with Carrot still not eating or drinking (and the vet unwilling to send him home as such) could mean we don't have the funds to pay for medications we might need.

I guess I'm just looking for suggestions. Have you heard of this before?  What can I expect?  Is there anything I can ask for or suggest that might help the process of getting a diagnosis?  They have not run any bloodwork yet, if they are going to should I ask for any specific tests?

Thank you very much for your time.  :)

Answer
Hello Jesika,

Poor little Carrot!  I am guessing your vet is worried about lymphoma.    Vomiting and an enlarged lymph node can certainly be indicative of some form of the disease.  

There is a form of lymphoma that only occurs in very young ferrets.  Did the vet note an enlarged spleen?  This is usually another symptom of the juvenile version of the disease.  Here is a quotation from a wonderful web-site regarding the topic:

"The juvenile form affects ferrets less than two years of age. This is a highly malignant and rapidly progressing form of the disease characterized by large highly malignant (anaplastic) lymphocytes. Since superficial lymph nodes are not often enlarged in this form, the condition is often missed until it is quite advanced. One characteristic sign that may be noted is an enlarged spleen. The spleen can be many times its normal size. When it takes up a significant portion of the abdominal cavity it should be surgically removed. When the liver or intestines are involved, the problem can be confused with digestive disturbances (diarrhea, weight loss, vomission, dehydration) or hepatitis (jaundice and elevated liver enzymes). "

Taken from:   

http://www.2ndchance.info/lymphomaferret.htm


The biopsy should return with definitive results as to if lymphoma is the cause.  Meanwhile, you should have blood-work run.  I am very surprised this has not been done yet, as this is often one of the first steps in diagnosing any disease.  With lymphoma, the white blood cell count (lymphocytes) is usually elevated, along with anemia, high liver values and serum calcium.  With this information, your vet should be able to have an idea if lymphoma is a possibility before the results of the biopsy are confirmed.  Any emergency clinic should have the capability of running some basic blood-work in house while you wait.     

Unfortunately, if the cause IS lymphoma, the prognosis is fairly guarded.  Chemotherapy IS an option, although it rarely allows much time for remission, as well as it can be extremely expensive.  I dearly hope lymphoma is not the cause.

If you would like more information on the topic of lymphoma, here are two other excellent web sites:

http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/lympho.asp
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/lymph.html#juvenile

Please keep me posted to carrot's progression and diagnosis.  I will be hoping for the best.

-Cindy P.