From:
fhbythesea@aol.com
Date: 2001-12-10 13:41:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: Blessing, Phenobarbitol &
neurological seizures ...
In a message dated 12/10/01 4:01:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
erin.simkins@e... writes:
> Did you know her before her
> seizures? How high had her temp gone? Tigger's was at 105° when we
> got to the second emergency hospital. (One that actually KNOWS
> ferrets.) Does the pheno seem to change her personality? Do you
> know if it interacts with lasix and enacard?
We had Silk for a couple months prior to her beginning the high temps and
seizures. She was released to the shelter as a baby in Jan 2000 (8 months)
because of her uncontrolled biting. Very suddenly in June she pegged a very
high fever, stopped eating and was very lethargic. Her white cell count was
in the 50,000 range. Dr. Williams should remember some private emails about
her in June/July as we tried to find out what she had. We eliminated a lot
of diseases, including ADV until all that was left was leukemia. Her highest
recorded temp was 105.8, but there was a week that her temp would go from
normal to very high.
It changes their personality a bit - its not as dopey as valium, but it does
slow her down a bit. She was a little antisocial at first (with ferrets not
people)- I believe that was while she adjusted to the meds. Very easily
startled and began exhibiting rythmic pacing behavior. She was also on 1cc of
pred 2 times a day while we tried to get her white count and temp under
control. I've never used pheno with anything other than pred and antibiotics
so I have no idea what interaction problems there may be.
>Poor girl... what a sweetheart to take them so well for you! If you
>don't mind me asking, how much does the pheno cost? I'll pay for it
>if it will help, but I'm just curious.
Pheno is pretty cheap - a 30 day supply costs me $4.59. We take Silk in three
times a year or so to do a full blood test, just to keep an eye on her white
cell count, red count, liver and kidney enzymes. Under the maintenance doses
right now, her WC is in the 1200's.
>So it can tax her kidneys & liver? Sounds like that should be fun
>for Tigger since he is on DOCP for his adrenalectomy and then lasix
>for his heart. Talk about making things difficult. Does Silk play
>at all? Does she eat on her own?
Its my understanding that over time it can cause liver/kidney problems - but
her seizures would have killed her. Her seizures averaged anywhere from 60 to
120 seconds, were happening a couple per day and we were extremely concerned
about her injuring herself during a seizure. I'm willing to take the risk on
her organs to gain quality of life. Silk has stabilized - its taken us quite
a while to get her there - but she is back to sharing a cage with other
ferrets and plays with us and them. She's a bouncy, fat little girl who
stopped biting the day she was diagnosed. She's actually a very sweet ferret
now and loves to kiss her daddy.
We did not do a CT or MRI scan on her - but we have discussed with Dr.
Williams donating her body to him for further study. I'm still trying to
convince my other half that it will help other ferrets that may have what she
has. She turned 2 in September, so she has had her disease for 18 months and
it is under control now - if it weren't for her meds twice a day and her
size, no one would know that she is so sick.
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org