raised bruised mark

Question
We just noticed a raised (bruise)looking mark on the back of Precious' neck. I hope it is not bad news.  She is 4 years old.  We give her an 8-in-1 vitamin that she loves & it keeps her weight good along w/her regular food.  But she does love to sneak into the cereal boxes.
Thank you,        Lanette

Answer
Hi Lanette and Precious,

I'm not completely positive on what it is. It is possible that it might be a skin tumor. Ferrets tend to get these, and they are generally benign, but no one but a vet can decide that after taking a tissue sample and having it biopsied. All bumps on ferrets that do not go away after a short period of time (a few days) should be checked by a qualified ferret vet. I would suggest treating it like it is a worst case scenario just because there are so many things a bump on a ferret could mean (such as adrenal disease, skin tumors, lymphosarcoma, or other things). I have never heard of a ferret smacking itself so hard that it actually forms a bruise, but that is possible too. My suggestion is that you take Precious to the vet as quickly as possible if you don't see the bump go down within two or three days at most.

Please keep me updated and you will in my thoughts and prayers!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews