From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-16 17:44:00 UTC
Subject: Re: a question for the vets?
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Tracey Greene <tag63@k...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
...I noticed a couple
> of weeks ago a slightly swollen vulva on my 3.5 year old female
Mitzi. We
> decided to draw some blood and send out an adrenal panel to
Tennessee. We
> also checked some blood chemistries at work and they came back
normal. Her
> urinalysis came back with some traces of blood and some strange
looking
> white cells, so we put her on Clavamox drops for a week and decided
to
> recheck at that time. By that time the Tennessee panel came back
and her
> values on that were:
>
> Estradiol 91.9 (normal range 30-180)
> 17-hydroxyprogesterone less than .03 (normal 0-0.8)
> Androstenedione 16.4 (normal 0-15)
>
Meanwhile, the second urinalysis came back still with a slight trace
of
> blood, and still some funky white cells and she was on Clavamox for
a few
> more days and we will probably be re-checking that again. Her
vulva still
> looks about the same size to me.
>
> I have noticed that she doesn't seem to be the pushover she was
when I
> first brought her home this past December from a shelter, but that
could
> also be that she's settled into our group more and feels more
confident,
> but I mention that also in case her behavior changes could be
relevant.
Here's my read on this one = early adrenal. Swollen vulva - pretty
classic, questionable behavioral signs, but a definitely (and
reproducible) elevation of an androgen.
Females with swollen vulvas may have elevated estrogens if they are
intact, have an estrogen remnant, or adrenal disease. However, if
the androgens are elevated, that eliminates the others and points to
adrenal disease. There is really no other reason for androgens to be
elevated.
Regarding the urinalysis, I would also include a stump pyometra in
the differntial diagnosis - this may be the source of the "funky
white cells" - could they be uterine endometrium?
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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