From:
luvaferret
Date: 2001-12-19 21:48:00 UTC
Subject: Re: IBD ferret now has GI bleeding, may not make it.
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "dr_bruce_williams"
<bruce.h.williams@h...> wrote:
>It certainly sounds like shock>
What would the shock be from? The strain of the IBD, changes in his
body chemistry? Ascites?
>With a case like this, you can do a lot with only a little blood,
>and it is important to get rid of some of the question marks in
>this case - even a simple hematocrit tube will give us a packed cell
>volume and allow us to see if he is destroying his own red cells
>which is the theory you are operating on.
Actually, we're thinking with his inability to absorb nutrients well
because of the IBD, he may be deficient in albumin and vit. K. He had
a CBC and blood panel done in early November and everything was fine.
He just seems to be running low on clotting factors.
> A little more blood will allow us to do a CBC, and we can stop
> there. The CBC will tell us whether he is destroying his red
>cells, at what rate (if we can compare it to a CBC taken either
>before or after), if he is dehydrated, and check his platelets,
>among other things. I think this is important information, and
>takes only small amount of blood. With all honesty, if a CBC is
>enough to put him over the edge, you are really on borrowed time.
Well, I can only hope that he beats the odds. He is really a tough
little guy. Despite all of this, he is still playing with his
crocheted rattle eggs and octopus, shaking the heck out of them. I
think he's beating up on them because he's mad at his mom for force-
feeding and medicating him. His back legs are weak and not working
really well. He can't climb in and out of the litter boxes right now,
and most of the time he can't get there fast enough anyway.
I'm not sure that he is destroying his own blood cells. He is
bleeding out. He is having bowel movements that resemble a heavy
menstrual flow with a lot of clotted blood. The frequency seems to be
decreasing as the day goes on.
>I believe that the stress of pulling the blood is probably no more
>than giving him the meds he is on. And is he getting fluids - if he
>is in shock - those fluids are critical - even if he is anemic.
Yes, he has been getting 75 ml of lactated ringers daily, because the
IBD leaves him dehydrated and he does not drink enough on his own.
I'm also mixing electrolytes into his duck soup to liquefy it.
> If he passes, the CBC is information that will be lost - blood
>pulled at a post mortem will not give us an accurate picture of
>what is going on. While it may not seem important now, shortly
>after he passes, you will wonder what went wrong, and you may never
>find an answer.
I will discuss it with my vet. Right now, we're just hoping the
bleeding stops. If it does, he is going to the vet tomorrow night
possibly for a transfusion. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do the CBC
before the transfusion. He just isn't a cooperative patient and the
stress of two procedures would be very high.
> You are hear at the FHL out of a desire for knowledge - let me
> suggest that the knowledge accompanying a small blood sample at
>this time may be helpful in both the short and long term.
I appreciate your advice and warm wishes regarding BJ. :-)
> With kindest regards and with all fingers crossed,
What, no toes? <G>
Thanks again!
Dodie