From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2002-10-29 07:25:07 UTC
Subject: Ferret bleeding
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <19348175.1035935000715.JavaMail.nobody@vanadium>
> I came home from work to find fresh blood in the cage
> near the litter box. I checked the only two in the cage and
> no one had any cuts, Rascal jumped out as usual and
> ran to his corner to pee, all that came out was blood.
> I looked closer and noted some eccymosis and petechiae
> on his abdomen, and some blood around his anus. He
> also had one bluish lesion on his chin. He is 2 1/2 yrs, male,
> has been on Bactrim for 23 days because another ferret had coccidia,
> and everyone is taking it. Rascal has been eating, drinking,
> active up until today, even today still drinking, and
> not lethargic, but weak. No fever, cold, or signs of infection.
> He does not look jaundiced, just pale.
>
> I called the vet at 8pm, and he met me at the office ( talk about
> dedication)
> after further exam, more bloody urine and then just frank blood.
> I also noticed purple bruising on his palate and tongue.
>
> The vet got blood to send out for a CBC, chemistry panel
> and a culture of urine and UA. Missed the last lab pick up-
> will go out in the am.
> he ran a PCV and it was 25.
> He looked at the bloody urine under the microscope and said that
> all the RBC's were broken, he didn't get a look at the peripheral
> blood before he gave the transfusion ( well he tried but by then
> all veins were collapsing, hard to get blood)
> Decided to do an ultrasound and
> put an IV. Sedated him and eventualy was able to place an
> IV- noted that not a lot of problem clotting after drawing blood,
> and even had to knick the skin to get the IV in and it didn't bleed
> a lot. After shaving him for the ultrasound noted many many areas
> of bleeding under the skin.
>
> Ultrasound- normal liver, spleen, kidneys, larger bladder
> with a shadow in it thought to be a large blood clot or
> possibly a tumor ( although blood seems more likely)
> The vet stopped to read in the books all the info he could,
> but has not seen this in ferrets, mentioned some disease
> seen in Collies, and another in cats with FIP.
>
> Rascal got IV, blood transfusion, IV Dexamethasone, antibiotic
> and tomorrow first thing recheck PCV- possibly more blood
> transfusion
> and more steroids, and he mentioned a whole body xray and
> eventually
> putting on epogen shots once he is better.
>
> Anything else to think about-
> working diagnosis- DIC- the vet feels cancer, disease of the
> urinary
> tract or bleeding from the intestines could be possible causes of
> DIC.
>
> My contribution was ITP- can ferrets get this, humans do?
> Also, any thoughts of sulfa drug causing this?
>
> Anyone?
>
> Patty K
> ps attached a pic showing the ecchymosis, and gum bruising,
not that it will help, but thought some
people may find it interesting- well I tried to attach and
it wasn't allowed, so I can put it on the site if anyone
is interested.
End of ferrethealth Digest
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