From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-10-23 05:30:00 UTC
Subject: stomach mystery
--
As many know we have several ferrets with on-going problems (loads of
vet work), which is no surprise once they are over a certain age.
Two of our guys have mysteries. Warp's friable small intestine seems
to be under better control thanks to meds she has for insulinoma so
that is fine, but Scooter's problem just isn't responsive to anything
for more than short periods.
Tooty is an altered male who will reach 5 years of age in February.
He joined us as a kit with a deformed paw (since corrected in two
surgeries). Three weeks ago he got home from his second surgery in
six months. His acute problem (left adrenal neoplasia) was easily
corrected but due to his chronic problems they had to again work on
his stomach -- yet again removing a fur ball (small -- in a size
others have usually passed; I saw it) and taking another pyloric
biopsy. His stomach 6 months before was very large and thickened.
This last time it was downright huge and even more thickened.
Neither ferret vet had ever seen a ferret stomach so large. Pyloric
biopsy showed only moderate mural gastritis.
Since his liver value had been off and there was atypical
lymphocytosis in the liver there was follow-up work several weeks
later for the liver which worked out well.
He responded too deeply and too rapidly to the Iso the last time
which scared the vets.
His spleen is too large but there has not been time to remove it
during anesthesia (to remain safe), nor the inclination by vets so
far since grossly it appears fine except for size.
Scooter seems to have his bowels firm up whenever there is a change
or increase in medications, or when there is surgery, but it is
always temporary -- with him soon returning to having runs and mild
to moderate rectal prolapses. (He knows the words "prolapse" and
"bum-fix" now from the many times we have used cortisone cream and
Prep. H. on him and will come for help when we say those words.)
Steroids were without effect for the most part; they had mild effects
when begun then when increased, but not as strong an effect as
antibiotics (Clavamox and Flagyl seeming to work best.). Pepto or
Carafate don't seem to achieve anything. Changing his diet to z/d
worked wonderfully for a few weeks then we had to add the Flagyl and
Clavamox again to get his firm, now he is once again having runs.
(He can't get to the others' foods.) Ferretone was removed in case
that would help and it did for a short while.
We're flummoxed. No one knows why his stomach is doing this or how
to control it. Nothing tried has borne out, and the two biopsies
didn't help.
Will be asking vet if it makes sense to start him on a diarrhea med
for the sake of his comfort, but we'd rather find a solution for him
rather than a patch if that is possible since at this rate he's not
going to be at all a long-lived critter.
It's not like a number of things haven't been tried; he's had at
least $4,000 of vet work (probably more like 5k$) himself alone this
year (Expensive year: five surgeries (with him having the two largest
so it's been a $9,000+ vet care year so far for all combined).
Ideas? Meds? Vets thought his motility seemed okay a few weeks ago.
Possible unusual causes that might be able to be tackled? This is
very frustrating and sad for all. We have him very comfy now despite
his runs but what if he needs surgery again in a few months, as seems
entirely possible to me given how his stomach changed in 6 months and
given that the runs have begun again despite diet and meds? We'd try
it, of course, as long as they thought he had no choice and had a
reasonable chance of surviving it, but would it make sense to remove
the spleen or a different organ in case something antibiotic
resistant might have set up house and be infecting from there? Is
there any way to modify his stomach that might help him? I realize
that i am asking for long-shots.
We've got good ferret vets, BTW, and they have sought consultations
on him. Everyone is stumped. Perhaps it's something related to his
being born with a deformity; there may be another variation in him
doing this that no one understands. The last one we had with
deformities was also difficult to manage medically and never thrived
in comparison to regular ferrets, so we just had to stay on top of
things with her and give her the best life her own biological
limitations permitted.
We're waiting to hear if they want us to also bring in Tooter later
this week when we bring in Jumpstart who is getting a large and
turgid abdomen and becoming much too lethargic for his personal
behavior history but doesn't look truly adrenal (though he didn't
last time, either, but that's what he had then), it doesn't move like
water-balloon belly as would be expected with cardiomyopathy, and his
spleen seems large but not terribly so. Blood-work and possibly
x-ray time for Jumper...
I think the poor vets must feel like throwing up their hands in
frustration, too, since nothing is working for Toots and nothing is
diagnostic but they keep seeing him in trouble. We are very worried
about him.