From:
Dr. Bruce Williams
Date: 2001-02-27 23:00:00 UTC
Subject: Re: any ideas please
Oh - I just looked at previous messages - three replies, three other
people nailed the diagnosis as adrenal.
I guess my work here is done.
(Just kidding - but I think this is a great example of how you don't
have to be a vet to have a good grasp on medical issues. I can think
of about a thousand or so vets I know who couldn't have done as well.)
bhw
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Dr. Bruce Williams" <williams@e...>
wrote:
> Dear Deb:
>
> E. coli in the bladder and now prostate, eh? Well lets look at
this
> problem.
>
> E.coli, the most common bacterium in feces, is also the most common
> bacteria isolated from bladder infections. Bladder infections in
> ferrets are most commonly seen in females, as males have a small
> urethral orifice, a sheath, a longer urethra, - all of this
> contributes to a lower overall UTI rate in males.
>
> Prostates in male ferrets, however, are never seen unless the
ferret
> has adrenal disease, and the estrogens that are liberated from the
> adrenal cause enlargement. Until we starting looking at ferrets
with
> adrenal disease, no one had ever seen the prostate, and several
books
> suggested that ferrets didn't even have one.
>
> Ferrets with prostatic disease often have concomitant bladder
> infections. My feeling is that if the prostate is indeed involved
> that we are dealing with concurrent adrenal disease. Ferrets with
> prostatic disease have difficulty urinating. Conversely, if there
is
> no adrenal disease, the prostate is playing no part in these
> recurrent urinary tract infections.
>
> Bottom line - let's look hard for adrenal disease - treat the
adrenal
> disease and the prostatic disease goes away, and likely the urinary
> tract infection becomes amenable to treatment as well.
>
> Oh, and you can't remove the prostate in a ferret - you would have
to
> split the pelvis to get it all out.
>
>
> With kindest regards,
>
> Bruce H. Williams, DVM
> Join the Ferret Health List at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-
> Health-list
>
>
>
>
> --- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "G Kelley" <gkelley0@h...> wrote:
> > Hi, I just joined the list (am also a lurker on the FML). My name
> is Deb Kelley and I am the current president of the Manitoba Ferret
> Association in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I also run our no-kill
> shelter. I am wned by 9 personal ferts and permanently foster 3
from
> the shelter.
> > OK, now for my question.
> > One of our members dopted a ferret from us. This summer he was
> diagnosed with having e-coli in his bladder. It took two regimes of
> antibiotics to clear this up. He has been good for three months and
> now the symptoms are back. Symptoms being pus in the urine again.
> The ferret wise vet seems to think that the e-coli has infected the
> prostrate. The ferret is back on a 21 day antibiotic course -
> Cephalexin suspension 250 ml pr 5 ml; .5ml twice a day. Can the
> ferret have his prostrate removed if the antibiotics don't work
this
> time? If this is going to be the norm every three months having to
> be on antibiotics, is there any other options? Has anyone else
dealt
> with an e-coli infection of this nature? Hope someone has
suggestions.
> > thanks
> > deb aka ferretqueen