From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-11-28 13:08:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Re: inconclusive lab results, please help
--
You mentioned her as having "cystic liver" before.
Cystic liver is not very common *IF* our experience is any
indication. I can't recall anyone asking specifically about that on
the site. Our Ruffle had to have emergency surgery for it since her
cysts got rapidly into potentially fatal size when it first occurred
-- removing an entire lobe of liver -- but it did reoccur over time.
She was the ONLY one we've had with it. Actually, she was someone
with multiple deformities who developed a lot of things at once, and
though the cysts reoccurred she died of other problems. The surgery
got her something like another 6 months, which -- in human
equivalents -- would be like getting another 6 years. If she had not
had the surgery the cysts would have taken her early on. It would be
a shame if the ferret is potentially curable to not provide the
surgery if the vet is up to it. Personally, I'd like to hear form
others on cystic liver here on-site. It can use a discussion.
Dr. Bruce Williams, in post 8613, went into why ultrasounds can give
confusing and potentially useless results when done on spleens and
why the appearance of "holes" is false. Like he said, they feel a
lot better after huge spleens come out; have seen some who have acted
as if they'd dropped three years in age just a couple of weeks after
surgery.
Like Dr. Jerry Murray, since the first blood glucose test was low but
the second was said to be normal, I think it makes sense to test
again since symptoms persist to be safest, but think that perhaps one
of the other several things that can drop glucose may have played a
part in the first test.
Could you give an idea how large the nodes are and which ones are
enlarged? Also, age?
You are in Canada; are you anywhere near Guelph, or could your vet
call there? Vet, Judi Bell, is on the faculty there and might be
able to advise your vet in a vet-to-vet discussion, or direct your
vet to someone who can consult on this. Please, let your vet do the
contacting even if you find the addresses. I have noticed many times
when great confusion happens if the client gets in the middle, unless
the client has a very strong biology background and full information,
and has gone through a written script with the treating vet
beforehand (the script is something I've done, with a bio background,
and approaching 20 years with ferrets).
Did they ultrasound the heart? If cardiomyopathy is present there
are meds that will give more quality and quantity of life.
-------
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Jen & Andre" <jen.andre@i...> wrote:
> I posted this a while back, but I thought I would repost it in
>hopes that someone might be able to respond
>
> Newton is slipping, she's getting weaker and sleeps almost all of the time.
> For more than a month I've been trying to find out what's wrong
>with her, just to be told that everything is inconclusive. After an
>ultrasound and a set of @ 15 slides made from lymph node, spleen and
>liver aspirates (while under anesthetic) the vets said it was
>inconclusive and would need a biopsy (but the doctor who does
>biopsies wouldn't do a ferret). That leaves going back for more
>aspirates.
>
> The doctor thinks it's lymphoma, but she told me that yet another
>doctor believes it is not (because only the largest lymphocytes were
>abnormal, the small and medium ones were normal). She says it could
>also be insulinoma that has spread to other organs is this likely?
>
> Newton was in for tests November 16
> Here are her lab results:
> (finished prednisone7-10 days ago- prior to the FNAs)
> anemia, throbocytopenia, mild leukocytosis with left shift
> serum biochem- mild azotemia (sp? messy handwriting), no
>hypoglycemia as previously seen (it had been 3.6)
> FNA enlarged LN, spleen, peripheral LN= reactive lymphadenopathy?
>but some large blastic cells
> Hepatic cept: inflammatory cells?
> suspect neoplasia but FNA unable to confirm. inflammatory? infection?
> FNA of spleen, cyst in liver, R submandibular LN
>
> Na 156 mmol/L urea 17.8 CK 64 U/L
> K 5.5 creat. 78 AST [GOT] 36
> Na:K 28 Glucose 4.1 ALT [GPT] 70
> Cl- 125 cholest. 4.9 Gamma-GT 67
> Ca 2.59 T. bili 2 umol/L T. prot.
>77 g/L
> P 3.35 Amylase 32 U/L albumin 23 g/l
>
> globulin 54 g/L
> A:G .43
> lipase 451 U/L
> SDH 4 U/L
>
> WBC 9.1 X10E9/L WBC Diff. (%) (X10E9/L) Plasma
> RBC 5.80 X10E12/L Segs 40% 3.64
>hemolysis
> HBC 84 g/L Bands 6% .54
>turbidity:+
> HCT .238 L/L
> MCV 40.8 fL Eos 1% .09
> MCH 14.4pg Baso
>protein: 82 g/L
> MCHC 354 g/L Lymph 44% 4.00
> RDW 18.7% Mono 9% .81
> PLTS 153 X10E9/L Disint
>retics .1% (x10E9/L)
> Pct 1.65
> MPV 10.8 fL NRBC /100 WBC
> PDW 16.8% toxic SLI
> Corr. WBC 9.1 x10E9/L
>
> C morphology:
> isocytosis 1+
> ikilocytosis 1+
> enation/burr cells
>
> If there's anything you can tell me from this, and the past
>messages I've posted please let me know. If there's something I can
>do for her I want to be able to do it. Newton's on pred, but the
>doctor says if I want to do chemo to not give pred. I Had her on
>baytril for a while to see if it was infectious but there was no
>response.
> Please help
> Jen
>
> ps, additional info: she's got a big spleen full of hypoechoic
>holes, masses in her liver (one was aspirated, urine coloured
>liquid, it was full of neutrophils), enlarged left adrenal, thorax
>was opaque on rads, couldn't outline heart (opaqueness didn't
>respond to diuretics), dorsal bend in trachea just cranial to heart.
>arrhythmia was detected >3 weeks ago, but normal now. She shows poor
>balance, hind end weakness (no seizures), when rolled onto her back
>it puts her into fits of heaves.