From:
Ingrid
Date: 2001-09-20 07:07:00 UTC
Subject: neurological symptoms/brain lesion diagnosis
Hello all,
I've read in the archives that brain lesions/tumors are unlikely in ferrets.
My ferret has been diagnosed with a lesion in the brain as a result of his
symptoms and from ruling out most other possibilities. I was hoping to post
here and see if any of you had any ideas.
He has the following symptoms:
-Drunk walk which has recently gotten much worse and has made it difficult
to walk at all
-Right-sided weakness - also shows lack of response on right side during
brief neuro exam by my regular vet
-Doesn't seem to 'focus'
-Enlarged abdomen, often very firm to the touch
-Wimpering with pressure on abdomen
-Frequent loose stools, VERY smelly
-Drinking excessive water
-Lethargic
-Splenomegaly
-No loss of appetite or weight
-Very large fat deposits on all lymph nodes, largest is right side of neck
and is about the size of a large grape
We've ruled out insulinoma, adrenal, and lymphosarcoma by exploratory
surgery and biopsy of a complete lymph node. He tested negative for ADV.
My vet has also ruled out renal failure from bloodwork and urinalysis.
I've posted about this guy before and got some responses, but everything
that was suggested has been ruled out. I'd love to hear from anyone with
any ideas. Right now things don't look very good and he's not getting
around much at all. I'm not sure that the brain lesion is the last possible
diagnosis, but I don't think putting him under anesthesia is a good idea at
this point to do more invasive tests.
Thanks for your help,
Ingrid