From:
deevecchione@cs.com
Date: 2001-05-30 16:04:00 UTC
Subject: mitral valve insufficiency & adrenal - surgery?
Hello FHL!
My five year old gib, Teddy had an echocardiagram performed about a
month ago. It showed a mild mitral valve insufficiency and a mild
increase of the left atrium. He is not on any meds at this time. My
vet heard a murmur during an exam and because he has slowed down a
little, thought it would be a good idea to have an echo done so we
would know the extent of the problem.
He is also showing signs of early adrenal. Slight thinning of fur on
his back feet and tail, and a really coarse coat. Occasionally, I
have also seen him bite his cage buddy on the back of the neck.
My question is: Is it safe to do adrenal surgery on a ferret with
mild heart problems? Will it extend his life at all, since he has the
heart trouble? Would it be better to do the Lupron injections for the
rest of his life?
I want to do what's best for my ferret, but I don't want to put him
through surgery if he could possibly die during the procedure, or if
it won't increase his life expectancy. I think the Lupron or surgery
would improve the quality of his life,in the long run.
Right now, he's a happy camper. He sleeps a little longer, and is a
little slower getting started when he wakes up, but he still plays
and enjoys a good romp with the rest of the crew.
Also, my vet is very reticent to perform surgery on ferrets with
heart murmurs, having lost some during or after their procedure. I
haven't talked to her about it since he had the echo, though, and it
showed only mild results.
Thanks for your advice!
Dodie Vecchione