From:
tansy
Date: 2003-12-02 10:15:19 UTC
Subject: Sniffles Anemia update- 1 week to surgery
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20031202101519.33394.qmail@web60504.mail.yahoo.com>
I keep doing these updates because I figure at some
point someone is going to run into the same thing...
Okay, last week in the life of Sniffles the wonder
Ferret his PCV had dropped to 22, and honestly I was a
bit bummed...so he got a shot of 125mg of Lupron, and
I noticed even the next day that he looked pinker. A
good sign.
Last Fri I took him to the vet's since I had to take
Phil in (a later email, but briefly he has heart block
and is now on Propantheline and slowly improving). My
doc ran another PCV on Sniffs and it was.....35!!! The
best yet! So, this Friday he is scheduled for his
adrenal surgery so please cross those paws.
Oh, and Dr. Williams, I know you don't usually look at
adrenals, but would you like this one to see if it's
any different? Let me know. And I will let everyone
know how the surgery goes.
I guess the question now is, how often is this
happening and are we just not catching it... If the
other poor little guy in AZ is any indication of a
pattern, it's happening to young (2yo) male
(only?)early neuters, and they don't have many
"normal" adrenal signs. Sniffs became sexually
agressive, and the AZ ferret was excessively itchy
which are both adrenal symptoms, but much more subtle
than all that hair falling out!
I hope we can catch more of these guys now since the
fix should be pretty easy, now that we know what's
going on (which, to be fair, we won't now for sure
until AFTER the surgery to see if there's a tumor, and
if removing ends the red cell suppression). But
essentially, the protocal should basically go:
-dx with reduced red cell count, without precursor or
deformed cells
-transfusion if it's critical, if not try a Lupron
injection
-if that does'nt work, do bone marrow transplant and
continue with Lupron therapy, which may have to be
given weekly to suppress the estrogen enough to allow
red cell formation.
-Operate as soon as stablized to remove affected
adrenal.
-Continue wih Lupron injections only until his PCV
count remains in nomrmal range withiut them
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