Message Number: SG2072 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Barb Gustafson"
Date: 2002-11-04 01:17:43 UTC
Subject: Copper Toxicosis
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <009401c2839f$fc3585c0$e5ceb8a1@ferts>

----- Original Message ----- =

From: Alberta Ferret Society - President =

To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com =

Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 7:26 PM

I am writing this list hoping that someone, anyone can provide information =
on this illness. The ferret health texts that I have offer very little inf=
ormation on this subject and in each case the ferrets mentioned seemed to f=
ail very rapidly. =

One of the vets that our Society works with recently mentioned that he's se=
en approximately 5 cases of copper toxicosis in ferrets in the last 2-3 yea=
rs. Each time the diagnosis was made based on biopsy's taken of the liver =
taken during exploratory surgery and in each case the ferrets lived for sev=
eral months or longer which doesn't seem to correlate with the information =
given in the texts. This could be that it was diagnosed early though so ma=
y have no bearing.

He seems to think that this many cases is out of the ordinary and he's aske=
d us to make contact with the other vets our organization works with to see=
if they have seen similar cases. He also requested that I post to the FM=
L to see what information other vets might be able to contribute.

In addition to any information you might be able to provide on Copper Toxic=
osis he'd be interested in what treatment protocols have been used and to w=
hat effect. The texts refer to the use of penicillamine which he says can =
have some negative side effects. =

On one of our member's ferret that was recently diagnosed with this is on s=
omething called "chelation therapy" with a drug called "trientine" at 0.5 m=
l twice daily. Does anyone have any experience with using this type of tr=
eatment and it's success rate?

Barbara Gustafson
Alberta Ferret Society
President