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ferret mast cell tumor

Mast Cell Tumor Symptoms

By Haley on February 4, 2020

Welcome to our series on Common Ferret Illnesses, and specifically our deep-dive into ferrets suffering from a mast cell tumor. In this article, you will learn what causes them, the most common symptoms, and which ferrets are most at risk. We will also provide an overview on what steps you will want to take to help treat them.

What is a Mast Cell Tumor?

Just like eosinophilic gastroenteritis, mast cell tumors are another way your ferret reacts to irritants in their environment or diet. A ferret’s body produces histamines (the same thing that causes your skin to react from a bee sting) when it tries to ‘fight off’ foreign bodies. With a mast cell tumor, your ferret’s body reacts by growing small, itchy tumors on their skin. Mast cell tumors start off red and can turn dark brown and black if your ferret scratches them and causes them to bleed and scab. They are usually less than 1cm in diameter. Luckily, mast cell tumors are rarely cancerous in ferrets.

We are very familiar with this ailment: Two out of our three boys suffer from mast cell tumors.

Symptoms:

  • Red bump on ferret’s body
  • Small scab on ferret’s body
  • Constant itching in one spot on ferret’s body
  • bloody scab on ferret’s body

Most at Risk:

According to VCA Hospital, ferrets over 4 years old are the most likely to develop mast cell tumors.

How Do You Treat Mast Cell Tumors in Ferrets?

The first step is identifying whether or not your ferret has a mast cell tumor. The next step is monitoring how much it is irritating your ferret. Are they suffering from how itchy it is? Are they scratching themselves so much they bleed? It may be time to take your ferret to the vet.

Mast cell tumors can be surgically removed. However, that does not mean more mast cell tumors will not appear on other parts of your ferret’s body.

There are special ointments you can put on to soothe your ferret’s itchiness. However, we do not have a specific brand we feel comfortable recommending at this time.

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Posted in Health, Uncategorized.
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7 replies to “Mast Cell Tumor Symptoms”

  1. T

    Tory September 9, 2020 at 2:16 am

    Did newt or albert have this

    Log in to Reply
    • Haley September 9, 2020 at 3:03 am

      Just Albert has the mast cells. None on Newt or Moose so far ❤

      Log in to Reply
  2. J

    Jennifer November 15, 2020 at 2:51 am

    My ferret had a mast cell tumor removed earlier this year. Thankfully it has not returned this far. I wasn’t aware that these were caused by an irritant. Did you have to change your ferret’s food after they developed the tumors?

    Log in to Reply
  3. A

    Ashley December 5, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    Help! My ferret had a red scab on his face, after a while it started to get a black scab on top of it. Now it has doubled in size and it’s raised with hair growing on top of it. I don’t know what it is and I’m scared it could be cancer!

    Log in to Reply
    • Haley December 5, 2020 at 10:06 pm

      Hey Ashley! You can DM us an image on Instagram or email us a picture, but I would highly advise calling your vet’s office and asking them for some clarity, they may request a vet visit.

      Log in to Reply
      • M

        Mindy October 16, 2022 at 5:41 pm

        How can I DM a picture of my 1 year old ferret who has a raised bump between his eyes and won’t stop digging at it and it’s got bigger over night and then the 3rd night it was all bloody from him scratching at it all night and now it looks like the bump went down but he is left with a sore and will continue to dig at it and idk what to do!! Someone please help my poor ferret I have called all the vets around me and they either don’t see ferrets or are booked!! 😡

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  4. A

    August June 22, 2023 at 4:07 am

    My almost 5 year old ferret has a small, black, bleeding bump just below his jaw and he won’t let me look at it or touch it, when does it become /urgent/? My parents won’t take him to the vet.

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