From:
Dale Nupp
Date: 2001-10-25 16:21:00 UTC
Subject: Lymphosarcoma Questions & Thanks for the Answers
Thanks to all who responded to my Lymphosarcoma Questions.
They were all helpful and pretty much consistant with the
discussions I had with the vet today. I guess the best advise
was to not panic and assume the worst. After being poked and
prodded by three vets and me, none of us could feel the lump
under the ribcage. False alarm, I guess. The radiograph also
proved negative.
A blood test several weeks ago
> showed elevated liver enzymes and an elevated white count
with a bg
level of
> 53. I think the low bg level is due to her lack of eating
and not
> insulinoma. She does not appear to be in any pain.
Dr. Williams wrote:
While it is good to know what tests are elevated, it really
provides
little information for interpretation. It is important to
know how
much they are elevated, especially the WBC count when
considering a
possibility of lymphoma. Regarding the blood glucose level,
this
level strongly suggests insulinoma. Even ferrets that are
not eating
well, can generally maintain their glucose in the normal
range. If
there are no noticeable signs of hypoglycemia, a repeat BG
coupled
with an insulin test would be in order. I DON'T recommend
fasting
blood glucose levels in ferrets who are already showing
evidence of
hypoglycemia - you may precipitate a seizure.
My regular vet agrees. When the blood test was done
several weeks ago, the insulin panel was missed for some
reason. I new blood test was ordered and I should get the
results Friday or Monday. Hopefully, this time around, it
will incude the insulin numbers.
Dr. Williams wrote:
I can't really recommend
exploratory surgery, at least not until the possiblity of
insulinoma
has been explored better and that mysterious lump has been
looked at
in more detail.
Once again, my vet agrees. He dosen't like to do
surgery, even exploratory surgery, until there is a
reasonable expectation of some worth.
So, Chloe came home today. The orders were to
syeringine (sp?) feed AD and baby food and amoxy twice a
day. So, I'll let you know when its time to panic again.
Many thanks.
Dale