From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-11-07 22:20:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Arrghh!!! Frustrating AV node block problems!
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Shelley Knudsen" <ferrets@t...>
wrote:
> Again, does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing
this? If it was by chance caused by some form of endocarditis, and
the Clavumox corrected it the first time, is it possible that because
he was only on the Clavumox for two weeks, and I stopped it right as
his heart was starting to speed up, that the infection could have
returned, if that was it? Another suggestion to me was lymphoma that
could be moving around, has anyone heard of or had any experience
with that in the heart? He is still on 3mg of prednisone a day, but
nothing else.
Dear Shelley:
Dysrhythmias are one of the most frustrating things that you can
encounter. It can be exceedingly difficult to pinpoint a lesion or
cause either in the antemortem or postmortem period. While
restrictive cardiomyopathy is probably the most common cause of heart
block in ferrets, your instincts about lymphoma and or endocarditis
are sound. However, lymphoma generally doesn't migrate - it just
grows, and any respite from block would be extremely unlikely.
Endocarditis in ferrets is usually not totally silent - it is most
often accompanied by some degree of leukocytosis, or some
echocardiographic valvular alteration. Not always, but often.
This is a difficult case, but you have, and continue to handle it in
admirable fashion.
With kindest regards,
bruce williams, dVM