From:
NCFerretMom@yahoo.com
Date: 2002-08-26 17:21:29 UTC
Subject: Dodger - the report
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3144832.1030382489564.JavaMail.root@scandium>
When I arrived at the vet's office Friday evening I was shown the x-rays. The first showed a very distended belly with a strange crystalline looking array in it. The best description I can give is that it looked like ice crystals when seen through a microscope.
The next 3 were post-barium. His stomach shrank a little and the barium was obvious. After 2 hours the barium was only about half-way through the stomach and there was a *gassy* look to the belly. At this point it should have been into the bowel, I understand. He did have a soft, semi-formed stool of the barium in the litter box, though. The vets had decided we needed to get whatever that *thing* in the stomach was out.
Surgery went well. Everything was a beautiful, healthy looking pink and/or red, as expected. The stomach and intestines were empty. Suddenly a pyramidal shaped *thing* popped out of the right side of the incision. It was obviously not natural to the mammalian body. It looked like those clear superballs that are formed with the tiny clear balls inside. There was little or no vascularization, looked fluid-filled, if anything.
The *growth* was tentatively attached to the right adrenal and to the liver. He was going to try to remove it, but it was precariously close to the vena cava. As this was his first ferret surgery, he really didn't want to be close to it! The first impression was, is this some growth from the diseased right adrenal gland (left was normal) or liver? He took biopsies to send off, but could not cleanly remove it so he left the remainder.
Dodger was slow to come out of the pain killer, but ate for me several hours later. (We don't have an overnight vet anywhere here, so I took Dodge and the vet's phone # home with me.) He ate fine (a/d) until about noon Sunday. Now I am having trouble getting him to eat anything. Still not TOO concerned as he is hydrated and normal size.
Blood glucose pre-op was 83, at MN on Sat it was 252, noon Sat at 168. Could not get it Sunday without clipping a nail. Still no bloodwoork.
Need advice. My vet is very receptive to new info. And, Dr. Murray, thanks. He used the 4-0 and stapled the outside. Due to his reaction to the Torbidrol (sp?) we didn't try pain killers.
Thanks for any advice or suggestions you may have.
renee :)
He still looks depressed, continues to try to cough something up and now grinds his teeth. He is on Amoxicillin, Reglan and prednisone bid.