From:
ferretwoman33@yahoo.com
Date: 2003-02-28 21:20:36 UTC
Subject: High Proteins Negative ADV and Questions
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6505250.1046467236215.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Several weeks ago I took my ferret in for an adrenal blood test since his h=
air is looking kind of thin. I decided to get a regular blood test done to=
o since the ferret was 2.5 years old and never had one done.
The results of the adrenal test came back negative. The results of the reg=
ular test had very high proteins. We had an electrophoresis test done and =
it came back with extremely high gamma globulins. Had ADV tests run on my =
two ferrets who hadn=92t been tested recently and both came back negative U=
nited. We have sent blood, urine and stool samples to U of Ga to double ch=
eck those results. But I don=92t know how he could be ADV positive since h=
e was tested two years ago and has never come in contact with any other fer=
rets besides my two adv negative ferrets. And I take precautions if I=92m =
around any other ferrets before handling my own.
Some background: For several months he has been gritting his teeth while e=
ating. He has still been active, his stools have been on and off normal. =
He was put on antibiotics in case he had some infection going on, and no ch=
ange. Once in a while he would vomit. No blockages seen on x-ray. Last x=
-ray was about two weeks ago and vet said everything looked good, heart loo=
ked strong.
He had his anal glands removed three weeks ago (very impacted) and then had=
complications from that (infected) and spent a few days at the veterinary =
hospital. He has been home now for two weeks. The first week he did ok, b=
ut he was on pain meds the whole week. He ate regular food, plus he got so=
up that I hid his meds in. He had lost weight from his surgery and sleepin=
g a lot for recovery but he still had some energy.
This week he seems to be doing worse =96 he won=92t eat on his own so I hav=
e to syringe feed him. He has vomited twice this week so now I=92m giving =
carafate. His stools have been runny to somewhat solid. He=92s not very a=
ctive just wanting to sleep all the time. He=92s being lazy with the litte=
r box, not even bothering to go down to the first level to the box, but jus=
t to a corner in the top level of his cage where he usually sleeps. He=92s=
also pushing so hard for stool to come out that he=92s prolapsed for a few=
minutes afterwards. Also, he doesn=92t want me to touch his face. He figh=
ts me if I even try to hold his head so I can get the syringe into his mout=
h properly, but he isn=92t fighting the food, just my hand. I don=92t reme=
mber him ever fighting me so much to keep my hands away from his head.
I don=92t know if he=92s having a long recovery, if this is due to the high=
proteins in his blood, or something else going on. =
Some other facts that may or may not be relevant: he had a distemper shot w=
ith a bad reaction just 5 days before blood was taken for the original test=
s. Also the blood testing lab said they had wanted another sample because =
they had a hard time with the tests because the blood had clotted too quick=
ly. However, last week (three weeks after first test) when we did the ADV=
test it also clotted quickly.
Any ideas what I might suggest looking into as to why he=92s acting like th=
is? Just three weeks ago, before his anal gland surgery, he was eating fin=
e, his weight was normal, and he was playing like normal. =
=