From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2001-12-23 22:29:00 UTC
Subject: Re: MADDISON DIED LAST NIGHT - BUT I NEED ANSWERS
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Bronwyn Williams" <bronwyn@a...>
wrote:
> ... A blood test showed normal glucose levels but a reduced calcium
level so she was given 2 or 3 injections of calcium over the next
day. ...We took her home and put her in a quiet spot with food and
water but she was having constant seizures although they were not
obvious unless you were actually watching her so I suspect the busy
vet practice had not observed the continuing seizures. ...She
rallied a bit and ate a fair amount of soup but the vet phoned me to
advise she had slipped into a coma just after lunchtime and she
should be put to sleep. When we arrived at the vets, they said she
had come out of the coma, was walking around the cage, had eaten more
soup and they thought the calcium had again done the trick. We took
her home again but before we arrived there she had slipped back into
a coma. ... An autopsy showed everything (spleen, liver, bladder
were all fine although there was a tiny spot on her pancreas). The
vet said despite the spot, he was certain it wasn't insulinoma
disease. He did not open her skull but said he could only conclude
it was something going on in her brain
Dear Bronwyn:
The previous suggestion of canne distemper is always a good one, if
she had not been previously vaccinated.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to give you answers without more
information. A complete listing of the blood test results would be
helpful in this regard.
I also have to question why your vet didn't examine the brain at
atuopsy, especially if he thought there was something going on in
there. If an animal is seizuring, and the blood glucose is normal,
then the most likely cause is inside the skull. Examination fothe
spleen, bladder, etc. is at best of little help in such cases.
You also did not mention if tissues were sent off to the pathology
lab for examination. Gross examination of the tissues at autopsy is
no replacement for examination by a qualified veterinary pathologist.
Unfortunately, and honestly, it is very likely that the only chance
for you to get the answers you need lies in your vet's sending the
brain off for analysis. Even in some cases where the brain is sent,
answers are not forthcoming.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM