From:
Erin Simkins
Date: 2001-09-25 06:34:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Tennessee Panel
This other animal hospital has said the
> money spent on a panel would be better spent on exploratory surgery.
> Now, after all this, my question is ... has anyone heard of a
> question about the validity of the panel? My vet is making an
effort
> to familiarize herself with the issues of my chosen companion
animal
> and here I am telling her one thing and someone else is telling her
> something else. She has said she will go ahead with the panel if
we
> so wish but I would like to know if there are any questions about
> it's usefulness.
> Any input from vets would be appreciated.
> Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your
little guy. I'm not a vet, and honestly, I don't have a good answer
as to the validity of the Tennessee Panel. I do know that if he is
exhibiting problems that seem to be adrenal related, I would save the
money you'll spend on the panel and just do the surgery. My ferrets
seem to bounce back from surgeries quite well (I've had 10 done thus
far), though with all surgeries you always run a risk. Is he showing
any signs of hair loss, unusual aggression, loss of muscle tone or
decrease in the amount of playtime before going back to bed? These
are all classic signs of adrenal disease.
If you are planning to do a surgery to remove his spleen, I would
suggest saving your money and just ask the vet to check out the
adrenals and pancreas for any possible tumors. Make sure he or she
is comfortable with the removal of tumors on the right adrenal
gland. Some vets won't even touch the right adrenal if the vena cava
is involved. Talk to them and find out about their comfort level and
what prior experience they've had. I apologize for redundency if
you've already done this.
You can use some of the money saved to run pre-operative bloodwork.
If he's three and relatively healthy, then this will give you a
baseline for down the road. It will also help to make sure he is a
good surgical candidate.
Just some thoughts from someone who's been there before. Best of
luck to both of you...
Sincerely,
Erin Simkins