From:
Lynn Siegel
Date: 2001-09-01 08:54:00 UTC
Subject: QT NEEDS HELP
Everything is at a standstill with QT. We are only as far as knowing what
is NOT wrong & haven't a clue as to what is. To say I am discouraged &
frustrated & so scared for my baby is a understatement.
I am posting this everywhere I can in the hopes that someone may know
something that will help her, so please excuse the repetition. This is what
has gone on to date with her, each number is a day, letter is vet response:
Original Complaint:
1. Hacking, coughing sound
Not eating by herself
Not pooping or peeing
Stomach big & hard
a. Put on lasix for cough, believe there may be a heart problem.
2. Watery blood on tummy & rear leg---formed a puddle on her tummy. Took
her to
emergency hospital.
a. felt hardness believed to be bladder, to get a urine sample bladder
was expressed &
"lump went away".
3. Hacking, coughing---sounding wetter
Not eating by herself
Not much poop or pee, don't think she has peed.
Stomach getting bigger
Throat, sinus noise, like a lot of flem, or very bad head cold
a. Had temp today---put on 1/4 tab of Baytril 2X day, everything sounds
normal.
4. Hacking, etc not sounding better, sounds like croup
Not eating by herself
Not much poop or pee
Stomach getting bigger
Gained one ounce----NOT from food
a. Less of fever
Took x-rays
Did blood work----indicates kidney failure......did not see sign of
heart problem on
x-rays..........x-rays sent to radiologist for study.
5. Consult with Dr. X on phone.
Lasix was stopped by me Saturday night on chance it could damage her
kidneys, since
x-ray did not indicate heart problem
Not eating by herself
Pooping & peeing much better
Tummy---she has gained almost 1/2 a pound since last week----NOT FROM
FOOD
6. X-ray sent to radiologist at TVS & determined that heart is enlarged
stomach is enlarged 10 times the normal size & full of fluid
Possible tumor in or near stomach
Kidney looked ok.
a. Decided to have internist at TVS look at her
7. Exam by tech at TVS & consult with other doctor--determined not to keep
her overnight
after normal glucose test
Heart, lungs, etc sound ok
8. No change overnight except tummy larger & hacking/croup worse---throat,
sinus sounds
worse
a. All tests done were ultrasound, echo + abdomen, ultrasound, color
Doppler, ECG & have
normal results, can find nothing wrong.
Blood work done--no results yet
9. QT sounds worse
poop, pee good
Still on Baytril 2 X day
a. Blood work---everything normal
10. QT had rapid breathing last night
This morning she sounds much worse, like she can't catch her breath
has afternoon appointment but sent her in early for observation.
11. Dr. XX did a endoscope of her throat & everything is normal. He
tried to do one of her
nose but even using smallest scope he had it wouldn't go into her nose
enough.
While she was there for observation he did hear her hacking which by
now is sounding
like a bad croup, but did not hear the sound from her throat/sinus that
I hear mostly
when she is fed. He said the croup sound is very similar to a dog with
Kennel Cough.
She also sneezes very violently, which I forgot to mention before. He
said that if there
were a tumor in her nose beyond what he can see, there would be a
discharge & there
isn't. She will either get better on her own or she will get
drastically worse & there still
will not be anything we can do for her. She will die.
Note on stomach still very enlarged & hard: He palpitated her abdomen &
said that what
is there is FAT. Not fluid but fat. She is building up fat at an
alarming rate & he believes
I am feeding her too much & too often. She will NOT eat dry food on her
own & gets
duck soup. The very most she has ever taken of that was 3 tbsp when I
over slept twice
& didn't feed her every 4 hours. Otherwise she takes only about 2tbsp
at a time, if that.
He told me not to feed her, to just let her be & she should start eating
the dry food on her
own. She went 10 hours yesterday without food & I couldn't stand it any
longer & fed her.
She took 3tbsp. I have been feeding her since, every 4 hours. She did
not touch any of
the dry food she had nearby.
Someone sent me this: >>> On the off chance that this is not (but it sure
does sound that way to me), I think that an other alternative is that maybe
QT is having an overproduction of fat that is building up in the body. Fat
feels like fluid... One of my ferrets, was misdiagnosed with kidney
failure, and then it turned out upon necropsy that she was filled with fat.
She could have been saved...
If it is fat, an adrenalectomy, and I think removal of the spleen worked
for a number of people who had what my ferret had. Let me know what the
findings were. But it sounds to me like QT may have to go for an
exploratory.<<<<< This is my little ray of hope right now. If anyone has
heard of this & knows what steps to take, or what causes it, what we do
next, please write me. I am so far behind on all mail that I ask you to
write me direct, the only list I will check is the FHL. My vet has given
up & although I think he is a super vet, I am not sure he will want me
telling him what could be wrong & I hate to say this. He says we have had
every test she could have & everything is suppose to be normal, but her
tummy is bigger she is still gaining weight. I don't know what to do for
her croup sound or for the sinus sound & I sure don't know what to do for
the weight gain. I cannot let her go hungry & feed her only if she starts
to look gaunt. He said that as far as an exploratory is concerned if there
were anything wrong it would have showed up on the ultrasound so no need to
go in & look. I guess I agree with that. Also I don't know what kind of
food would be low calorie, if she should have that or keep feeding her A/D?
All I have been doing is crying for her. At times she struggles to breath.
Vet said could be due to fat pushing against lungs etc. We need help.
Sincerely,
Lynn & Clan War Weasels