From:
meesh meesh
Date: 2001-08-28 18:57:00 UTC
Subject: meesh: Please Read: more on Mighty Mouse
Hi,
Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who responded
privately to my post. Forgive me if I don't get a
chance to reply to all of you individually. Between
school and Mighty Mouse, I am short on time.
Just to clarify. Mighty Mouse has only vomited once
and she has pooped (oddly since she didn't eat really)
4 times in 24 hours. So, I'm not concerned that it's
a blockage. Also, she is not on pred. We believe the
insulinoma is back because her last blood glucose was
74. She has never been clinical, and because ferrets
develop tolerance to pred, we are waiting till she is
clinical or drops below 60 (this is standard - not to
treat with pred until clinical signs).
Well, the continuation of the story is that today I
gave famotidine and pepto again and while she wouldn't
eat early this a.m., she did eat a little for me at
school even after pawing at her mouth. At first I was
feeling good about this, but she went downhill after.
she is still lethargic and depressed, and refuses to
eat or drink. Her respiratory rate is high and it
seems because she is painful. She grinds her teeth
with the least amount of stress, but did have the
strength to bite me when I was trying to give her subQ
fluids (plasmalyte).
We did bloodwork and an ultrasound and a urinalysis.
Bloodwork is very concerning - unfortunately I left
the sheet at school, but I remember the important
stuff. Her situation is a little complex, but the new
stuff included Neutrophillia (78%), a very high ALT
(7-900), high AST (? 270) , (low ALP ), increased
Bilirubin (.5 - usually .1-.2), creatine kinase of
1500 +, increased BUN (54) and doubled creatinine (1.6
- been 0.9 or less since) but she was not dehydrated
by her Bloodwork (Total protein was normal). Her
albumin was down from last time (trend over last year)
= 2.7 (was 3.0 last time) which could be lab error
difference or significant. Albumin/Globulin ratio of
0.8. She has had anemia of chronic disease since the
nephrectomy and liver lobectomy (no change, HCT = 35).
Her BG was 95 and this was 2 hours after she had a
little food - not much, but a little - so that's good.
Her ultrasound will be compared tom. with previous
ones (done every 3 months) but the obvious was free
fluid in her abdomen. She didn't have a lot, and she
has always had a tiny amount, but this was definately
more - obvious pockets around various organs).
Her urinalysis was protein 3+, ph = 7.0, blood =
1+, SG = 1.022. She had 3+ on protein a month ago but
Protein/creatinine ratio was 1.0. And, strangely the
protein came out to 79 (which is 1+) when precisely
measured.
It's asking a lot for anyone, non-vet or vet, to
interpret this without having her whole history which
I know has been given in bits and pieces. I would be
willing to email and/or call anyone to describe the
situation in full.
I am really concerned = this does not seem like a
'bug' to me and my gut (which has always been right)
is telling me it's serious. They are talking at school
about doing a Tru-Cut biopsy of her liver (concern for
mets to the liver from insulinoma), tapping the fluid,
and even putting in a peg-tube if she doensn't start
eating overnight (and putting in an IV catheter and
placing her in ICU).
I have also been told that it's *possible* that I'm
causing liver problems by feeding her only baby food (
one month now) - she has kibble but doens't eat much.
She gained 150 grams in 6 weeks and weighs 1300 grams.
They think the fat content is too high (and sodium)
and that it might be contributing to her situation -
it's a syndrome akin to fatty liver. This seems
strange to me given how many ferrets I know of being
supplemented with baby food - and they aren't saying
it's the cause but maybe a contributing factor to the
liver enz. changes on the bloodwork.
I don't know if anyone can help - in fact, I am not
expecting anyone to pull a magic rabbit out of a hat
here - so much is non-specific and her history is so
complex, but I had to write. I'm holding it together
but barely. I fell apart a few times at school, but
the day was slow thank god, but tomorrow is going to
be busy. I am just not ready to lose this girl and
I'm really scared.
Thanks so much for listening,
Michaela Maurice
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ohio State University
Class of 2002
ps. They are giving me/her overnight to try and
stabilize and eat - since she did eat this a.m., maybe
they think, the stress of being at school, poked,
prodded, etc., deterrred from the improvement I
thought I saw when she ate this a.m.
=====
*** If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams,
and endeavours to lead a life which they have imagined,
They will meet a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau ***
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