From:
sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-07-27 21:01:31 UTC
Subject: updates: IBD (Tootie), Heart Block (Sevie)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7674756.1027803691980.JavaMail.root@scandium>
I was asked by several people to do updates on these two ferrets.
For those who don't know, Scooter (who has IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease) had begun having firm stools after around 7 or 8 months on Imuran and 3 or 4 months on Biosol, so we were accessing the imput of each to know if his Imuran can finally be given less often. First the Biosol was removed to find out if it still played a part. After three days of increasingly looser stools it was obvious that it was so that has been started again. Now we have to wait for him to oncde again have firm stools on the combo and once he does that for a half week we can try taking his Imuran down to every 4 days and see what happens.
A month ago Seven of Six developed an incredibly rare insulinoma complication: Level 3 (or Complete) Atrial/Ventricular Heart Node Block in which the chambers of her heart no longer have rhythms that mesh. The result is that part of her heart beats slowly enough that this condition will eventually kill her due to cardiac insufficiency and other complications such as those of blood pooling, and can go anytime from today through months from now. Sevie is on Enacard and on Aminophylline as per the instructions of consulting veterinary cardiologists. She has shorter periods of play and the play is more gentle now, but she is still dancing a bit each day and playing every day, and she has no pain from this. As time goes on she gets better and better at self-regulating. So far she has had a month more of life than expected and each day is a gift.
I have heard of maybe four or five ferrets known to have had this at life threatening levels and one more whose meds used and long time survived are consistent with a possible Level 1. One other serious one besides Sevie who I know of is also still under treatment and has been for months longer than Sevie. That one had been a Level 2 but worsened to a Level 3, and is on a medication related to Aminophylline. The message, which most vets won't yet know since this is so rare in ferrets, is that these ferret individuals can be treatable, and that quality life can be had for a decent while with careful medicating.