My ferret has a mouth growth. Tumor or abscess? What causes it?

I agree that Willy should have his teeth cleaned soon. Finding a veterinarian who cares for exotics may be difficult (as you have already experienced). You may need to travel to a larger city. Here is a clinic in Tucson who may be able to help you: https://azeah.com/ Taking care of dental disease early is the best course of action. Our PetCoach site has many helps articles about ferrets and ferret care which you may also find helpful. Regarding getting antibiotics, you will have to first find a veterinarian who is willing to examine Willy before he can get any medications. This is only a temporary fix and will not cure the dental disease. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Poor Flower! Since the growth on her upper lip has not dramatically grown, ruptured, or caused her to feel ill over the past few months, an abscess seems unlikely at this point. My biggest suspicion since it has steadily grown and another lesion is occurring on the left side as well is that this may be a benign or malignant mass. Unfortunately, the only way to definitively diagnose this type of lesion is by taking Flower to the vet to have a fine needle aspirate cytology or biopsy performed so that cells in the lesions can be examined microscopically. As these masses grow, my concern is that they may rupture and become infected, or grow so large that they make it difficult for Flower to eat. If you are able to pursue treatment for these masses, it is always better to start sooner rather than later. I hope that all goes well!

It is possible that it is associated with some type of cancer, especially if you can see a mass. It could also be caused by a tooth infection. Your vet could do a dental cleaning with x-rays to evaluate his teeth and see if any are infected teeth that need to be extracted. He may need to stay on an antibiotic for an extended period of time to clear the infection. Your vet could also culture the drainage to make sure he is on the correct antibiotic.

It's really hard to tell how much time he may left. The vet that diagnosed the cancer may have a better idea based on the location and potential metastasis during their examination and testing. Any type of oral cancer can be very painful. There are several pain medication options that can help, and I would recommend discussing all of the options wit your vet. You could also look for a hospice vet in your area that will see ferrets. Quality of life is unique to each pet and owner, so there won't be an easy way for me to tell you when it is "time." This article is made for dogs, but many of the concepts will apply: http://www.lapoflove.com/diseases/canine/Oral_Tumors_in_Dogs.pdf

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I would not use anti-itch cream. It is not harmful I just don't think it is the best thing to use. Using something like this wound gel would be better. ( ) When you look for a vet definitely get one that is used to treating ferrets. Also be sure you have him on a premium diet like Marshall's or Mazuri. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-ferret-feeding-nutrition/ ) ( http://www.mazuri.com/mazuriferretdiet-1.aspx ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Winston has a foreign body or mass inside his mouth I recommend having him seen by a vet right away. A foreign body can cause serious intestinal issues such as severe vomiting and diarrhea, while a mass in the mouth may block the airway or prevent swallowing. I am happy to look at any photos you may have and answer any other questions you may have!

Hi, and thanks for your question. Even though I cannot see very well from the pic you upload unfortunately, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to approach the problem. Euthanasia should be considered only this lesion is causing severe inappetence. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!