From:
DaneeDV@aol.com
Date: 2003-01-30 22:21:35 UTC
Subject: Laryngeal Paralysis or ???
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
CC: AFERRETVET@cs.com, williamsb@comcast.net
Message-ID: <de.3353c45e.2b6aff6f@aol.com>
I have a 6 year old female ferret that my vet thinks may be suffering from
laryngeal paralysis. While he has seen this condition occasionally in dogs,
he has never seen this in a ferret, or heard of anyone else finding it in a
ferret. Before I give the history, my questions are -
1) Has anyone (vets or owners) come across laryngeal paralysis in a ferret?
2) If so, what is recommended?
3) From the description, can you think of other things this might be, or
other things we should check.
History - Jazzy is a 6 year old albino that is ADV+. Although she is late
alter, she is a whippet body type - very long and thin. About 1 1/2 years
ago, I noticed she would occasionally make a gurgling sound when breathing.
Usually, I would hear this when she was sleeping, or when she first woke up.
I took her to the vet, concerned that she might have fluid in her lungs or an
infection, and he did a complete physical and x-rays. Unfortunately, she did
not make the noise while I was there, so he did not hear it. However, the
x-rays were clear (heart and lungs looked good) and all other aspects of the
physical were normal.
Several months later, the noise was a little more pronounced, and happened
more frequently, so I took her back. We did another set of x-rays, and
again, everything was normal. My vet did hear the noise briefly, but was
unable to determine where it was originating.
Over time, the noise has become more pronounced, and now can be heard almost
all the time. Apart from the sound, she seems healthy and normal. She is
not as active as she once was, but does play, and has a good appetite.
Monday, we again saw the vet, and did more x-rays. This time, we x-rayed the
head in addition to the chest, in case it was something in the sinuses.
Again, the heart and lungs looked good, and there were no abnormalities in
the head. However, because the noise is almost constantly there, my vet was
able to determine that it was originating in the throat area, and not the
chest or the head. He said it sounded like what laryngeal paralysis sounds
like in dogs. He gave her an injection to put her out, and he and one of his
associates spent about 30 minutes trying to see down her throat to see the
larynx, but were unable to see far enough down. Also, because she had been
given a little gas for the x-ray, and it had upset her stomach, she was
salivating excessively, making it hard to get a good view. Finally, because
there were other clients waiting, my vet suggested I bring her back tomorrow
and leave her for the day, so he can take time and really examine her.
He indicated that the fact the condition has gradually come up and worsened
was unlike laryngeal paralysis - at least as he has dealt with it in dogs.
He also said that in dogs it can frequently be a life threatening condition
(because it can cause choking), requiring surgery by a specialist. He also
wasn't sure that we could find someone willing to try the surgery on a ferret
if that is what is wrong.
Any opinions and suggestions are appreciated. Meanwhile, I will be happy to
report tomorrow what he finds out when he tries to look again.
Danee
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom">http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom</A>