From:
ferretsonly
Date: 2002-01-02 23:29:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Imuran side effects
Ditto on the z/d. I had one ferret who was suffering dreadfully for
several years from IBD even on the Imuran. When we switched Cinnamon
to z/d (which she willingly ate!), the improvement was stunning. She
passed away November 10th at the age of 7.5 years from heart failure
(she had been diagnosed with a heart murmur at the age of 4 months
and had been treated for heart disease for 3.5 years!). Given how
sick she was with the IBD, I never dreamed she would live that long!
> I would strongly suggest reading the article by Dr. Burgess, and
> perhaps printing off a copy to show to your vet. Using Imuran to
> treat IBD is somewhat new, and many vets are not familiar with it.
> While it may not work for all cases, the people I know that have
> tried it have been very impressed with results, and I do not know
> of anyone that has had adverse side effects from it.
As with any substance that enters a body, there can be side effects.
My foster, Rascal, cannot tolerate Imuran because it caused him to be
anemic. I believe that a vet would advise you to get blood work done
routinely to watch for anemia and other potential side effects.
Also be sure to ask about giving vaccinations while on Imuran *OR* if
any other ferret in your house is on Imuran. Imuran suppresses the
immune system so it's a powerful drug.
-Carla