From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-11-16 23:18:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Giggles' Bloodwork
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., ncferretmom@y... wrote:
> In Sept. of this year she was treated prophylacticly with Albon
> following exposure to Coccidia. Immediately thereafter we moved to
> south Texas, where she began to lose weight. She eats and is
> supplemented with Bob's gravy. Drinks a lot of water and eats
kibble
> fine.
>
> Current weight is .9#.
> Yesterday's bloodwork shows the following abnormalities (or
low/high
> norms):
> ALB 1.46 (Low)
> Ca 8.16 (Borderline Low Norm = 8-11.8
> TBIL <0.1 (Low)
> TP 4.38 (Low)
> K+ 3.7 (Low)
> Cl- 130.1 (High)
>
Dear Renee:
You don't mention any abnormalities on the CBC, so we are going with
only half the picture. The most significant finding here is the
hypoalbuminemia. This is a very low level, and is also responsible
for the low total protein (albumin is the largest component of the
total protein in the serum) as well as the calcium - only albumin-
bound calcium is measured - if the albumin is decreased, then the
measured calcium is often low. The total bilirubin and the
electrolyte changes are not of real signficance here.
The most common cause of hypoalbuminemia is chrinic inflammation of
the intestine (so-called inflammatory bowel disease.) It can also be
lost through the kidneys, so a urinalysis would be indicated to rule
out significant proteinuria.
The abnormalitis are consistent with the clinical signs of weight
loss, and on the surface point to the GI tract as the culprit here.
However, I'd like to see CBC results as well.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM