From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2002-08-09 19:22:32 UTC
Subject: Bear - Cryptosporidiosis and Lymphoma
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <3117.192.168.132.34.1028920952.squirrel@webmail.seaconinc.com>
> The cryptosporidia diagnosis does not appear correct, at least at
>...
> The bloodwork is not horribly alarming, but the high white count
> suggests some significant inflammation somewhere in his body, and
>...
> I don't see anything to prove a diagnosis of lymphoma at this
> point, either.
Unfortunately this one goes to the opposition. I believe Dr. Williams
when he says the bloodwork doesn't prove a diagnosis of lymphoma, but
that is indeed what Bear has - lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma with
mediastinal, hepatic, and probable splenic involvement.
The good news, if there is any good news in this case, is that the
crypto tests came back negative. I don't know what his vet saw, but it
wasn't crypto. She did see a massive overgrowth of spirochetes and
other organisms, though, so who knows what this was.
So here's my question. I have been reading through the materials on
this. Dr. Williams has stated that an elevated lymphocyte count is not
diagnostic of lymphoma. I can accept that, but if that is not a
reliable indicator, what is? How are we to know that lymphoma is even
a possibility? Do we have to wait for overt external symptoms to
present? I understand that biopsy of affected organs is the only
reliable diagnostic, but what tells us that a biopsy is needed?
I suppose I'm feeling a little lost at the moment, and wondering how we
could have caught this sooner.
Thanks,
roger and the fibonacci ferts