From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-03-11 19:29:00 UTC
Subject: Re: low glucose, high lymphocytes
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "dorinnek" <dorre@a...> wrote:
> Hello again,
>
> I have posted numerous time about Toby, who originally was treated
for
> possible ulcers because of teeth grinding and not wanting to eat.
>
> Anyway it has been two months and I have been feeding him with a
duck
> soup mixture of ground kibble and a/d mixed with ensure.
>
> He is off his meds and seemed to be doing better actually gained a
> whole pound! Noticed last night he was pushing his duck soup away
so
> back to the vet. She did a bloodwork and barium x-ray. She found a
> hairball in his stomach, but he should pass it. My concern is on
his
> bloodwork, It showed his glucose level at 30, which my vet says is
low
> and his lymphocytes are high again. They had returned to normal
while
> on his antibiotics. He has been off his antibiotics for over 2
weeks.
>
> Could his glucose level be altered by the sugar in the ensure?
Also my
> vet gave the possibility of insulinoma or a tumor in the pancreas.
Dear Dorie:
With a glucose of 30 (if it is repeatable), you've got an insulinoma
that requires surgery.) While you are in there, you can confirm the
hairball and remove it - ferrets don't generally pass them if they
are large enough to see on a contrast film. I'm not seeing a need
for additional testing.
Hairballs will cause inflammation in the stomach, and can be the
cause of the lymphocyte spike, but older ferrets often have elevated
lymphocytes as a result of chronic inflammation in the gut, etc. I'd
like to know what the lymphocyte count is on an absolute level, along
wit the overall WBC count, but right now, you have two conditions
that need to be addressed surgically.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM