From:
Michael Janke
Date: 2002-02-24 10:04:00 UTC
Subject: Neurological problem?
[Moderator's Note: forwarded by request]
Cinnamon, 6 year old spayed female ferret. Diarrhea for a few
days, put on Amoxi 2-15. Diarrhea cleared up for a few days
then returned. 2-18 noticed her sleeping on one of the beds
on the floor--she *always* goes up to the top level of her
cage to sleep. 2-19 noticed her on the floor again, and she
had pooped on the rug--she has a 100% litter box hit rate.
2-20 she could not move in a normal fashion. Her front legs
would draw up to her chest, her back legs would stick straight
out. She could not walk or keep her balance, and had
apparently been like that all night as there was no "Cinnamon
poop" and very little food was eaten (she shares a cage with a
male). Took her to work and did a urinalysis, CBC and
chemistry.
Urine: CBC:
Chem:
pH 7 WBC 10.39
Alb <1.0
specific gravity 1.040 Lym % 37.8
Alp 58
blood 4+ Mon % 1.8
Alt 343
bilirubin 3+ Gra % 60.4
Amy 17
Lym #
3.93 Tbil <0.1
Mon #
0.18 Bun 29
Gra #
6.28 Ca 8.7
RBC
6.25 Chol 235
Hct
33.6 Cre 0.7
Hb
12.3 Glu 93
PLT
498 K 3.2
TP 6.4
Glob ***
While at work, she lost the ability to hold her head, if
tilted to one side or the other, her head would flop as if her
neck were broken. She was given a neurological test which she
managed to do, but greatly delayed. (Dragging feet sideways
to see if she would place them, knuckling her feet, hanging
her feet off the edge of the table, etc) Dr. felt that her
spleen was enlarged, but not significantly. Stopped the
Amoxi. 2-21 not only would her head flop from side to side,
but she was also having trouble holding it up to eat and
drink, poops normal. 2-22 she was doing much better--able to
walk, to hold her head normally. 2-23 she is better, acting
more curious, however still subdued and her body movements are
still not normal. Did the aleutian's test today--NEGATIVE.
Noticed that her abdomen looks a bit bigger, Dr. felt it again
and feels that it is larger than when he felt it Wednesday,
poops still normal. So now! what? Thought about sending
blood for the electrophoresis, but if the Elisa test is
supposed to pick up whether the animal has ever been *exposed*
to AD, and it's negative, then what's the point of the
electrophoresis, which apparently determines if the ferret is
in the effected stage? Surely she would not have such a
reaction to Amoxi? Any thoughts?
--- mustylid@earthlink.net