From:
Lynne Fink
Date: 2002-09-03 13:27:44 UTC
Subject: RE: Megaesophagus
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Is this something you have thought of? When you mention he keeps liquid down when he is upright, this is what I thought of. I'm certainly not a vet or anything of the kind, just a concerned ferret Momma. I know how worried you must be. Prayers and hugs
Lynne and the brats
<<<<<<From: williamsb@comcast.net
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7460912.1031059664463.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Dear Julie -
Megaesophagus is still somewhat of a mystery disease in the feret. The distribution is primarily male, primary middle-aged to older, and there are currently no known triggers for it in ferrets, as opposed to dogs, wehre it may be realated to myasthenia gravis or conincidental to thymoma, a tumor of the thymus which shares some antigenic similarities to the acetylcholine receptors of the esophageal muscle (which causes the body to turn on the muscle as well).
Currently therapy is simply carful management, feeding of a slurry in most cases, and feeding from an elevated platform. I was under the impression that propulsid was unavailable on the market - how did you secure it.
Megaesophagus is generally a progressive disease with a poor prognosis. Most animal eventually succumb to aspiration pneumonia or ulceration and yeast infection of the esophagus, as it empties poorly into the stomach.
The definitive diagnosis is rather easy - a small amount of barium given by mouth will reveal a greatly dilated esophagus on X-ray.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM>>>>>>>>>>
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