Message Number: YG9333 | New FHL Archives Search
From: weaselwerkstatte
Date: 2001-12-12 15:49:00 UTC
Subject: blood in urine

hi,

i've got a ferret with a problem that has mystified my vet. this list
was recommended as a good source of information.

nobby is a year and a half old gib. recently blood started to appear
in his urine. he shows no sign of difficulty urinating.

symptoms clear up for several days but return. at it's worst, when
his urine is very dark, he is listless and eats little.

specimins were taken free and by catheter. culture was negative, with
no white cells or "grains", but blood was confirmed. ultrasound and
x-rays show nothing unusual. blood sample had normal platelet and
white cell counts but glucose was slightly low. (it's possible that
this was because the sample was taken after a few days of little food
intake.)

he seems better now, with occasional pink urine but mostly colorless,
for over a week. my concern is that this has been going on for
several weeks, with symptoms returning in various degrees.

my vet has consulted with exotic animal specialists but he's run out
of ideas. he doesn't suspect an adrenal disorder and there's no
evidence of bladder stones. (there is the possibility that stones are
too small to be detected but are causing irritation.)

any ideas for me to follow up would be highly appreciated.

thank you,
<../j/p.schwartz>