From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2003-03-22 05:42:51 UTC
Subject: update on ferret with liver disease
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20030322.005042.3420.2.kazpat1@juno.com>
I posted earlier this week that a ferret I am ferret sitting
for had become sick with diarrhea and ended
up staying at the vet. The main problem, besides the
diarrhea was a very orange pee that was loaded with bilirubin
A blood test confirmed a bilirubin level close to 5,
and a ALT or AST of 500, and albumin of 1.8. Other labs
looked o.k. An ultrasound showed a liver that was abnormal
in consistency and appearance, but no mass seen.
An aspiration came back as severe changiohepatitis ( I think the word
sclerosing was used).
I was reading in the archives portal hepatitis is common
in older ferrets, especially if GI disease. The ferret only had
diarrhea for 2 days before the tests were done, I am not
sure if that is long enough to cause the liver findings and albumin
to be low.
The ferret is still at the vets with diarrhea and IVF. I really want
to take him home, but they say he still needs the fluid. The vet
mentioned trying to contact some pathologists for opinions, and
staring him on meds for liver disease.
If anyone has a similar case and knows what worked well I would
like to hear about it, maybe this is all secondary to the diarrhea,
or the liver problem is causing diarrhea,
not sure. Two stool tests were negative.
Patty
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