Message Number: YG3329 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Kristine
Date: 2001-05-07 08:13:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Need help with Snowflake

Thanks Alicia.

I'll be heading over to the vets in about an hour. I forgot....of
course, this is what I get for writing so late....we did have enough
blood last time to check glucose which was 115. So definately
not indicating insulinoma.

I'll let you know what the results are this afternoon.

Kristine



--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Alicia <ferretwise@m...> wrote:
> Hi Kristine-
> I AM NOT A Vet-- but here are my thoughts on Snowflake.....
> I would see if you can get blood enough to profile liver , it
sounds like
> you may have a liver dysfunction there-- ?
> The great appetite now does pretty much rule out typical liver
deficiency--
> as they are nauseous and do not want to eat. If the food is
primarily soft
> you will see softer stools until you wean her back onto hard
kibble.
> The only other suggestions as a layman I would have are
insulinoma which
> does cause weight loss or ulcers ( which may cause irregular
& soft stools) .
>
> The quandry is that you have 2 initiators of the weight loss --
distemper
> vaccine ( and I am assuming due to her age 2nd or 3rd yearly)
and stress
> from your being away.... This can confuse the issue as to
whether the
> cause is medical , or stress and emotional.
> Sending good thoughts.
>
>
> alicia
>
> re:
> >Snowflake-Young gal that is not quite 3 years old.
> >
> >Over the past month she has been steadily dropping wieght.
> >She had her anual distemper shots about that long ago and
> >wieghted in at 1 lb 8 ozs. She now wieghts 14 ozs.
> >
> >It started up when I was gone for a couple days. I had
someone
> >here watching the fur kids here for me. She does not like
> >change and never has. Apparently this was enough to get
her
> >worked up. She refused to eat on her own till I got home.
She
> >had lost a couple ozs then. Once I was back she was eating
> >duck soup on her own. Right now it's a mix of a/d, chicken
baby
> >food, dyne, pet tinic and little pau d' arco. She is eating 3-4
large
> >bowls a day. Approx 90 cc's each bowl. She's finishing each
> >one almost completely and then her cage mate is licking up
any
> >left overs. Left overs are not more than 10 cc's and her cage
> >mate is getting down right fat on it. Yet, even though
Snowflake
> >is eating all this food since a month back she is continueing
to
> >lose weight.
> >
> >Doing blood work was awful. Hardly got any blood from her.
My
> >Vet is usually a pro at this and just barely got enough do lab
> >work with. Well..as things work out the darn machine broke
half
> >way through the test. All that did come out was totally
> >normal...but we got no wbc and several other important
things
> >from it before it conked out. We looked at some of the blood
> >under the microscope and could see there looked to be a
high
> >number of wbc's. No lymphcytes.
> >
> >Her coat is beautiful. Full, thick, and soft. Giving the
impression
> >if you only look at her that she is the picture of health, that is
until
> >you pick her up and realize that is all she is. Up till the last
week
> >her poop looked pretty good..formed and only slightly softer
than
> >should be. Now they are getting weirder. Still formed, but
kinda
> >jello like in consistancy. (did fecal-nothing there either)
> >
> >For the last 12 days she has been on clavamox, in case of
> >infection. And also on pred (.25 mg twice daily)..in case of the
> >dreaded lymphoma..which we are kinda wondering if it is.
> >
> >Saturday morning we woke to her having a yellowish crust on
> >her eyes. I put terramyacin on her eyes after cleaning them.
I've
> >continued putting it on her eyes twice a day. Now just one
eye
> >has some gunk in the corners in it that needs to cleaned just
> >once daily.
> >
> >Today her nose looks gunky too. It's greenish/yellowish
inside.
> >It's not dripping out..but way in there where I can see it and
get
> >out a bit if I use a warm wash clothe.
> >
> >She's still eating. hates the pred and will sometimes gag
and
> >vomit it back up.
> >
> >We are going back in this afternoon to see the vet. Hopefully
we
> >can actually get blood work done right this time too.
> >
> >What are we missing? Any ideas? Anything else we should
do
> >when there? I thought even distemper? But we've had no
new
> >shelters here in the last month. And her symptoms don't
quite
> >seem right there, do they? I know she is up to date on her
shots
> >and has been in the last year.
> >
> >biopsy would seem right if we think lymphoma..but first the
blood
> >work done right. But with what looks like lots of infections
and
> >such low wieght is that even a good plan at all?
> >
> >she has no hind leg weakness. She is not dehydrated. she
is
> >actually still active even. Not exactly jumping for joy. But she
> >does wander around a lot and even will run for the playroom
> >door. She wakes up as soon as I go to the room in hopes for
> >some more duck soup. I'm definately not ready to give up
here.
> >She's too young and I KNOW she wants to live.
> >
> >I'm feeling super useless here. My vet I love dearly, but what
> >steps do we take here?
> >
> >thank you for listening to my long post.
> >Kristine
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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