From:
sukieferret
Date: 2002-05-29 20:19:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Post surgery adhesions question for Vets
The reason that urine becomes amber while feces becomes
gray is because bile that normally would be in the feces instead
winds up eliminated through the urine. That can happen with
hepatitis, too, and it sounds from the jaundice you describe that
the ferret's liver did become inflammed.
I was once told by a vet that adhesions are very rare to non-
existant in ferrets, but I think (could be misremembering) that
one person spoke of a ferret having some once.
In humans (I think) there is the option of removing the gall
bladder if there is bile duct damage, But I could be wrong or it
mihgt depend on where in the duct the damage is, because I
recall they left a damaged bile duct in my father. With ferrets'
flesh and saturated fat diet I am not sure if ferrrets perhaps have
greater need of that bladder to hold bile in its reservoir though I
suspect that makes sense. Bile helps break down fats. The liver
makes it, but the gall bladder stores it.
I really don't know what options are available if the duct is
damaged badly. Can't imagine stints that tiny, though for all I
know (or rather, don't know)...
I'm not a vet, of course.
-- Sukie