From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2003-08-06 02:46:57 UTC
Subject: RE: My ferret is very sick and probably dying. Urgent advice needed.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7585105.1060138017192.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Dear Luis:
I am hopeful that there is some miscommunication from your vet, because I truly see little relationship between the symptoms and the treatments, and the explanations just don't mean much to me.
First of all, I am wondering why he has been treated with pred for over 18 months - a 4-year-old ferret is an excellent surgical candidate.
REgarding the fluid in his lungs and the gasping for breath and the large belly, I am wondering why some discussion of heart disease has not come up, or more aggressive treatment along these lines rather than just Lasix.
Vitamin B shots really do very little for chronic disease - I continually wonder why they are given in such cases.
Honestly, I am having some difficulty understanding the progress of this case, and hope that there are alot of facts that got lost in the translation. I might suggest, if there is still time, seeking a second opinion in this particular case.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
Author wrote:
> Hi everyone!
> I'm posting this message in the FML and Ferret Health.
> I have a 5 1/2 year old male, Ferry, who is dying from what is probably
> many complications, and I want to ask you if there's something we're
> missing and should try, or we're being selfish and should let go.
> He was diagnosed with Insulinoma over a year and a half ago and is
> currently taking Pred.
> He's gained a lot of weight since then (his current weight is about 5lbs
> 11oz), and has been on a diet of ground chicken mixed with Marshall's dry
> food. This mixture has a lot of water in it so it is very soft (the only
> way he'll eat it), and so are his stools.
> His hind legs are very weak (due probably to the excess weight) so every
> time he defecates he gets it all over his rear, which has caused him to
> have some sort of "diaper rash". We're treating this with Neosporin (we
> also tried Desitin, but the vet said Neosporin was better) and daily baths.
> The problem with baths is that they keep his skin moist for longer periods,
> which doesn't help.
> He also has cataracts.
> A couple of weeks ago I found him limp in his bed and he didn't want to
> eat/drink anything (the signs were different to when he had had attacks due
> to insulinoma before) so we rushed him to the vet's. The vet said he could
> hear fluid in his lungs, so he prescribed some lasix to clear out the
> fluid. Later that day Ferry was eating his food and feeling a lot better.
> The next day he was back to his normal self.
> Last Saturday we took a car trip from Cleveland to Detroit and back. The
> whole time he and his 2 sisters had enough ventilation and water so they
> were comfortable. When we got back (at around 2:00am) he was doing alright,
> but Sunday morning I found him limp again and rushed him again to the vet.
> As per our request, the vet also administered lasix and some B-12. The vet
> said he felt a mass on Ferry's belly and wanted to check it out, so we had
> an X-ray scheduled for Monday morning (let me remind you that Ferry's belly
> is huge). The X-ray revealed a mass that seems to be either growing on his
> left kidney or right next to it (it is hard to tell from the X-ray). The
> X-ray also showed some bone loss on his hind legs.
> Ferry's been having some "jerking" attacks or spasms where he continuously
> tries to move is front and back legs even when we're carrying him. The
> doctor mentioned something about possibly being the result of Calcium
> leakage (although he couldn't explain from/to where). I don't know if
> excess Ca leaking into the nerves is causing more nerve electrical
> activity, therefore resulting in muscle movements.
> The doctor also said that Ferry is having some trouble breathing, ad I
> could see this Monday afternoon. Ferry would (in a couple of occasions
> throughout the afternoon) start gasping for air. He looked very distressed.
> I would grab him and breath over his nose and mouth to push some air into
> his lungs. With this, he would be ok again after a couple of seconds.
> Is he suffering? With the description of all the problems I've given you,
> do you think we (the vet and ourselves) are missing something? We love him
> very much and wouldn't want him to leave. Every time we see how he enjoys
> eating his food, and how he loves sleeping in my wife's arms we think he
> every single moment he can enjoy these things is worth fighting for, but
> when I see him impatient, moving without going anywhere, or gasping for air
> it makes me thing that I'm being very selfish.
> I'd appreciate any help/advice you can give me.
> Please reply to my email address (jll7@po.cwru.edu).
> Thank you very much. Sorry for the long post.
> -Luis