From:
Brett Middleton
Date: 2001-03-06 13:57:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Strange postsurgical reaction redux
Karen Purcell, DVM" <drkaren@w...> wrote:
> I have seen similar hyperactivity post-op in a few ferrets and
> cats. I've yet to determine a cause, though it has resulted in some
> popped sutures more than once!
How soon post-op did these reactions begin? Would the 48-hour lead
time I experienced be unusual, based on your observations?
> Are you sure nothing different was used medically/anesthestically
> with the superficial surgeries, as opposed to the abdominal
> procedures?
The general anesthetic was isoflurane in all cases, including two trach
washes and several radiology/ultrasound sessions. I don't know what
other tranquilizers, sedatives, induction agents or analgesics may have
been used for the abdominal surgery vs. superficial surgeries vs. non-
surgical procedures. (I wonder if I can talk my vet into joining this
list? B-)
After the bilateral adrenalectomy, Pogey was put on predisone and
Florinef, and she was still on low dosages of these at the times of the
superficial surgeries: 1.75 mg pred every 48 h. and .025 mg Florinef
every 48 h. After the second surgery she was also getting 35 mg TMS
every 12 h. (because of a high WBC -- some unidentified chronic
infection that we'd been trying to kill since March 2000) and 22 mg
aspirin every 24 h. (as an anti-inflammatory to try to relieve the
breathing difficulty she'd been having over the past couple of months).
I guess my main concern isn't so much the cause of these episodes
(though I'd really like to know!), but what the appropriate response
would have been. In hindsight, it strikes me that letting Pogey run
out her store of reserves might not have been the wisest choice.
Perhaps a period of sedation would have left her better able to fight
back to health after the causative agent was out of her system. (Of
course, that's presuming we knew enough to pick a sedative that
wouldn't duplicate or reinforce the cause.)
I imagine this is rare enough that I might never see it again, but I'd
still like to learn from the experience, just in case.
Brett
*SLMW 1.0* Isn't it scary that doctors call their jobs "practice"?