From:
BlurOFur@shaw.ca
Date: 2003-03-06 16:54:19 UTC
Subject: RE: Cirrhosis of the liver
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <970341.1046977066273.JavaMail.nobody@vanadium>
It's taken a bit, but I finally have some blood results.
General Panel
cbc with differential
White cell cnt 7.2
Red cell cnt 6.38 L
Hemoglobin 110 L
Hematocrit 0.312 L
Mean Corp Yol. 49
Mean Corp Hemoglobin 17.3 H
Mean Corp Hemoglobin Conc 354
RDV 20.4
Platelet cot INV
Mean Platelet Volume INV
Differential
Counts (ABS)
Basos 0 0
Eos 72 1
Bonds 0 0
Polys 4536 63
Lymph 1512 21
Monos 1080 15 Total 7200
Morphology
Poikilo Slight
Platelet Adequate
Slight echinocytosis
Platelets clumped
Retic 3%
Chemistry screen
Glucose 6.0
Blood Urea Nitrogen 3.4 L
Creatinine 41 L
Bun/Cr Ratio 21
Sodium 144
Potassium 3.6 L
Na/K Ratio 40
Calcium 1.94 L
Phosphorus 1.11
Total protein 53
Albumin 19 L
Globulin 34
Albumin/Globulin Ratio 0.6
Bilirubin total 3
Alkaline phosphastase 234 H
Sgpt [alt] 757 H
Gamma gt 119 H
Chloride 119 H
Carbon Dioxide 15 L
Calculated Osmolality 283.9
Anion Cap 14
Creatine phosphokinase 301 H
Sgot [ast] 313
Please look them over and let me know what you think. We've had him
on the Denosyl for about 4-5 days when the blood was taken. Hopefully
it didn't change the values too drastically and give a false reading.
Gadget is now about 1/2 way through the 30 day trial we were going to
put him on it. This past weekend, he did take a turn for the worst. He is
not eating and forcing food down him has been very stressful on him. He
was doing well in the week prior and even gaining a little weight. Last
night we decided that it was best for him if he would eat anything on his
own. So he is now on a diet of mice. Before getting ill he would suck
them back one right after another (useally about 5 hoppers). Yesterday
and today, he has decided the only the upper half of the body is worth
eating. It's something... it's food... and we don't have to force it down him.
His energy has picked up a little and I've noticed that he has started
taking in more water again.
worried... and desperate...
betty
> Dear Betty:
> First things first. You said that Dr. J biopsied the liver because it did
not look right, but he was in there for adrenal surgery at the time.
> What if the liver isn't at the root of his problem - yes it looks bad, but
have you checked his blood values - are the liver values (expecially the
bilirubin) elevated. > I see a fair number of livers that aren't pretty, but
they seem to work. The most common cause of liver changes is far and
away heart disease - the blood backs up into the liver if the heart isn't
pumping well (what we call right-sided congestive heart failure). There
are some other causes (copper toxicosis has been identified in ferrets),
but these are pretty rare. > Now I don't think that the Denosyl will hurt,
but there is no information on how this will help a ferret. It is one of
those drugs which eveyon agrees should help, but we really don't know
if or how it does. > But if you truly determine that his ill thrift is due to the
liver, it's certainly worth a try.
> With kindest regards,
> Bruce Williams, DVM