From:
williamsb@comcast.net
Date: 2002-08-02 03:30:19 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Questions about cryptosporidiosis
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <29054596.1028259019448.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Dear Roger:
The cryptosporidia diagnosis does not appear correct, at least at first blush. Crypto is extremely rare in ferrets, and the crypto occysts are tiny. Might we be talking about coccidia, instead?
The bloodwork is not horribly alarming, but the high white count suggests some significant inflammation somewhere in his body, and the fact that his lymphocytes are high and the neutrophils low suggest that there is a chronic inflammatory process going on. The ALT, AST, and SAP are all mildly elevated, but this is more slikely from not eating well than anything else.
I don't see anything to prove a diagnosis of lymphoma at this point, either.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
Author wrote:
> > Last night, our Bear was a bit listless, and this morning he was
> > downright lethargic, so off to the vet we went. The vet found that
> > his feces were filled with "unusual large cells", probably oocytes,
> > probably cryptosporidia. We're now waiting on the lab report to
> > confirm.
> Bad news. The lab still hasn't finished the fecal analysis, but they
> did come back with the bloodwork. It isn't pretty. Dr. Williams,
> would you care to comment on this? Here are the highlights, everything
> else in in normal range:
> Hematocrit: 42.6%
> WBC: 14600
> MCV: 45
> MCHC: 36.4
> Lymphocytes: 10220 (70%)
> Neutrophils: 2774 (19%)
> Reactive lymphocytes found.
> Alkaline phosphatase: 448 (yes, 448)
> ALT: 192
> AST: 370
> Chloride: 117
> Globulin: 2.4
> We're now concerned that the parasitic overgrowth may have been
> triggered by something else, possibly a smoldering illness. He has
> been a little less active for the past few months. His vet is
> concerned that we may be looking at juvenile lymphoma.
> Would anyone care to offer an interpretation? I would appreciate any
> advice.
> Roger & the Fibonacci Ferts