From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2002-10-17 15:53:10 UTC
Subject: Sevie update
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <p05111701b9d48959da2c@[10.0.1.10]>
Seven of Six's abdominal ascites is worsening, she is becoming
lethargic, and the phrase "end stage heart failure" has entered the
conversations. Her consulting specialists are wondering about
variations in meds (Thanks, Sandra!) and such but it likely that
after almost 4 months her heart is timing out from Complete A/V Heart
Node Block. She still has no signs at all of discomfort, and that
can be how this is, we've been told, that she will just get more
lethargic and then fall asleep and not wake up or her heart will just
stop.
For those who don't know, A/V Heart Node Block is very rare in
ferrets and can be a caused by blood sugar dips. The Levels are One
(with which a normal life span can be gotten and which may go away),
Two (which can be treated and which may go away), Two-Sinus (which
needs to be treated and will worsen to a Level Three, and Three
(which is complete so the electrical timing is totally off between
heart chambers and the ventricals finally just give up).
With Level 3 the only way to survive is to have a pacemaker, and
there are now new varieties that are small enough even for some
female ferrets, but Sevie didn't even get measured because she has
more insulinoma in a spot that can't be touched, she has a
compromised Vena Cava, and she just wasn't expected to survive
surgery so instead medical approaches to give as much good time as
possible have been being used, but it got complicated when her
insulinoma showed up again. For a ferret who was expected to be dead
about two months ago she sure has been having a good time.
BTW, this complication is a rare one, and she had it begin at mild
sugar depletion, so it's likely something to which her heart was
already prone.
Anyway, I know that some folks are following this, and I want to
reassure Shelley that even at this stage she is happy and pain-free,
just tired and doesn't like all the piddling she is doing because
Shelley's ferret has apparently moved from a 2 Sinus to a 3 according
to her recent post.