From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-06-26 03:31:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Mosby is chasing rainbows - but leaves behind a lot of
questions
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., daneedv@a... wrote:
> When it was spun down, the
> serum, which is usually clear with maybe a little pink, looked like
milk.
> Both the tech and my vet were puzzled by this. (BTW, since there
was no
> reason to send it out today, I retrieved it, and have it in my
refrigerator,
> if anyone can think of a test that should be run on it).
Dear Daneeç
I am sorry for your loss of Mosby. The mily change to the serum is
triglyceridemia, evidence that the body is mobilizing fat stores to
try to convert them into glucose.
While that does not sound logical, in cases of diabetes, the body is
actually starved for glucose - there is a lot in the blood, but it is
not getting into the cells of the body, where it is needed for fuel.
So the body continues to break down more and more fat, not knowing
that there is plenty already circulating.
> Here are the blood test results from yesterday morning.
>
> ALB 2.31 g/dl
> ALKP 130 U/L
> ALT 238 U/L
> AMYL 28 U/L
> BUN 22.3 mg/dl
> CHOL 239.3 mg/dl
> CREA 1.62 mg/dl
> PHOS 4.06 mg/dl
> TBIL 0.10 mg/dl
> TP 5.79 g/dl
> GLOB 3.49 g/dl
>
> HCT 28.4%
> HGB 10.1 g/dl
> MCHC 35.6 g/dl
> WBC 7.3 x 10(9)/L
> GRANS 3.3 x 10(9)/L
> %GRANS 45%
> L/M 4.0 x 10(9)/L
> %L/M 55%
> PLT 47 x 10(9)/L
> Retics 1.7%
>
The abnormal creatinine value may be the result of serum turdibidy
due to the accumulation of fat - this change may artifactually change
some of the values, and in such cases, the glucose may be
artifactually lowered (so it may have been higher than what
registered).
The lver changes are due to flooding of the liver with fat. With the
decreased albumin and mild anemia, I also suggest that you may have
had an asymptomatic ulcer as well.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM