CASE REPORT: HEMANGIOSARCOMA OF THE MESENTERY IN A FERRET (MUSTELA PUTORUS FURO)

A three-year-old female intact albino ferret was presented with clinical signs of panting, hyperpnea, weakness in all four limbs, loss of the swallowing reflex, lockjaw and sudden paleness of the oral mucosa and extremities. An abdominal mass was discovered during palpation. The patient died suddenly after clinical signs were observed. At necropsy, hemoperitoneum was noted in the abdominal cavity and a 4×2.5×1.3cm dark red moruloid mass was found in the mesentery of the ileum. Histopathological examination of the mass revealed multiple cavernous structures with significant blood accumulation. Oval to polygonal neoplastic cells with frequent mitotic figures were also noted. Furthermore, neoplastic cells were positively stained with antibodies of CD34 and Factor VIII, and had metastasized to the mesentery lymph nodes. The definitive diagnosis was visceral hemangiosarcoma in a ferret.