From:
Karen Purcell, DVM
Date: 2001-05-08 04:17:00 UTC
Subject: Re:Sick Ferret
Anne-Marte,
You wrote:
>
>SNIP>
> Now for my problem:
>
> Pia had a bad spay last year, and we had to do it a second time. Now she ha=
> s an urinery infection. It is one of those really resistent, hard to get ri=
> d of ones (E-coli). We can't seem to shake it, and we are wondering if it m=
> ight be something else as well. We have done x-rays today, and bloodtests. =
> The x-ray was not done with contrast, so it is a bit hard to tell. The vet =
> thought she saw some shadows by the left kidney. The right was hard to tell=
> because of the position and the intestins around and over it.
>
Did you do a culture and sensitivity? I find that many resistant
UTI's need to be treated with an appropriate antibiotic for a minimum
of 6 weeks.
> We have been wondering if it is adrenal or something else. My question is w=
> here could she get the ecoli from? Since it is this resistent we are starti=
> ng to lean towards her getting it from the first spay (at another vet). Is =
> this likely? Where could she have gotten it, if not from the vet?
>
E. coli is an environmental pathogen that is common in urinary
tract infections. It can be found in fecal material, and travels
easily up the short female urethra to the bladder.
> What could this be? And where do we go from here? (If it is likely she got =
> it from one of the vets, we will make them pay some of the vet bills!!!)
>
> I don't want my baby to be sick anymore, but I do not know what else to do.=
> Maybe and exploratory operation??
>
> SHe has a swollen vulva, but it goes up and down, and is not fully swollen.=
> She also has secret coming out, and seems she can't help herself and urin =
> keeps coming out (not much, but enough to keep her vet around the vulva)
>
This could have adrenal disease underlying, or there is still a
piece of ovary in there complicating matters. An exploratory surgery
may be your best option, but only if she is on antibiotics specific
for this e.coli at the time.
Best of luck here,
-Dr. Karen
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