From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-03-02 22:23:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Cystic Kidney
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "jasperand4" <jasperand4@n...> wrote:
> Hi all
> My 8 month old jill has just had her right kidney removed.
> I posted here yesterday, but had little response.
> I am trying to find any info on cystic kidneys in ferrets.
> What is the most common cause likely to be in such a young ferret?
Dear Carol:
In an 8-month-old ferret with cysts only on one side, there are two
possibile causes. The first, and most common, is a congenital
defect. These are extremely common in ferrets, and we see cysts 25%
or so of ferrets at necropsy (for other reasons.) Perhaps someone
one day will do a study - this would be realatively easy to
quantitate with ultrasound - they are usually of a size that they
would jump out at you.
The second reason, and the more likely reason for a kidney to be
removed is that we are not dealing with a true cystic kidney, but a
case of unilateral hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis occurs when the
outflow of urine is blocked from one of the kidneys. In the ferret,
the most common cause is a urinary tract infection which ascends from
the bladder up the ureter (the pipe that connects the kidney to the
bladder.) If inflammatory debris blocks the outflow of urine, the
pressure will build up in the ureter and back up into the kdiney.
That kidney is going to continue to make urine - it doesn't know that
the plumbing is blocked.
As the pressure builds up in the kidney, the kidney tissue eventually
withers away under it, and eventually, you are left with a large bag
full of urine.
The third possibility which is very remote would be true polycystic
kidney disease, a reare genetic defect of ferrets in which all of the
plumbing is malformed, and many large cysts develop, eventualy
resulting in renal failure. But that is extremely rare in this
species.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM