From:
sukieferret
Date: 2002-06-27 12:48:00 UTC
Subject: some info on bradycardia (info vets can use included)
I tracked down two experts beyond the one our vet found. (It's something that
i am pretty good at doing and used to do for a friend who is a vet but who left
our area.) and we'll be trying Aminophylline at 4 mg/kg once a day for 3 days
and then twice a day after that for her brachycardia, unless in direct
consultation with our vet they decide on an alternative approach. At least
she's stablized. One of the cardiologists let me know that bradycardia tends
to show up in just the situation in which we encountered it and tends to
accompnay some form of abdominal pathology with insulinoma or GI disease
being common accompanying problems when it occurs in ferrets.
Bradycardia is not common in ferrets (which is why the first expert consulted
had no strong idea what to do), but it's good to know when the risk is higher
and what to do about it. That info was from Dr. Jonathan at the Veterinary
Heart Insititute, whose number I have passed on to our vet. I have also
arranged for a consultation with Dr. Deborah Kemmerer. Links for both are in
our Files here at the FHL and also at http://geocities.com/sukieslist, though
Atlantic is doing servicing right now so I ultimately got to Dr. Kemmerer by
finding her number unsing the search engine at http://www.miamiferret.org/
fhc.
Hope having this info handy this helps someone else when things look grim
and fast response is needed.