From:
"Sue Liszewski"
Date: 2004-08-25 04:36:17 UTC
Subject: RE: [ferrethealth] Vet needed advice so this little girl can get treatment
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
before she dies. I need something to take to a new vet.
Message-ID: <BAY15-F27WGP6YDPHdK0001e485@hotmail.com>
It is difficult to say who is right and what is best when we are not there
to see the actual films and ferret. I would do some labwork, try some
antibiotics and perhaps heart medication and see how she does. There is
nothing wrong with getting the x rays and taking them with you for your
second opinion. Then they can be returned to the orig vet. The more info
you have the more an answer can be found and certainly to have this with you
prevent you from having to do it again. Good Luck with your little one, how
old is she? This might help give us an idea too. All the best/
Dr. Sue
>From: "Lynn Mac Farlane" <gypsi@atlantic.net>
>Reply-To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
>Subject: [ferrethealth] Vet needed advice so this little girl can get
>treatment before she dies. I need something to take to a new vet.
>Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:31:03 -0400
>
>I brought Peppersprout to a vet because she was very lethargic. It took 2
>tries before he would listen to me & examined her. He didn't think
>anything
>was wrong with her at first. He listened to her heart & lungs & told me
>they were both normal, just fine. I kept insisting there was something
>wrong so he took her in & took x-rays. When he came out he showed me that
>her heart was abnormal. There was something around, on or in her heart
>that
>he didn't know what it was so sent the x-rays to a specialist to read.
>Below is what was in the report that came back on her. That day he
>examined
>her & said her heart & lungs were ok, after the x-ray he put her on Lasix
>twice a day, 0,01cc, he said it was for her congestion. I don't know how
>she went one minute from being ok to the next being congested.
>
>When he got the report back he called me & told me she had an enlarged
>heart
>& asthma. I have never seen her show any signs of asthma in all the time
>she has been here, she is a Utah kid. So I never believed that from when
>he
>told me. I was talking to another vet about Peppersprout & she asked me if
>I would fax a copy of the report to her, so I called the office & asked
>them
>to fax one to me. Today was the first time I saw it. I was astonished
>when
>I came to the part about her stomach. The first vet had never said word
>one
>about it. Didn't tell me to bring her back in, never called to see if she
>was ok. It is like he either didn't read that far down or ignored it.
>
>Peppersprout is still lethargic, when she walks around she keeps her tummy
>close to the floor, doesn't hold it up like a normal ferret. This was also
>mentioned to the first vet. Actually the first time I took her there was
>because when I took her out of the cage for play time & put her on the
>floor, she just collapsed, it was like a fur coat falling off a hanger, she
>just laid there. I picked her up & set her down & she took a wobbly step &
>fell over sideways. I did this a few times & she did the same thing. I
>was
>thinking Insulinoma. Rushed her to the vet. They took her back to do a
>blood test & put her on the floor & she was running around back there. The
>doctor came out with her, said she was running around & there wasn't
>anything wrong with her, to take her home. They never did do a BG. When
>she stayed lethargic I brought her back to the vet & that was when I
>insisted there was something wrong & he finally took x-rays.
>
>She shows no sign of pain, she is just lethargic. I am more likely to
>believe she has pneumonia than asthma. Ultrasounds here are around $300 &
>up, I cannot afford it. I would like to know what treatment would be
>advised for pneumonia & what to do for her stomach & possible peritonitis.
>What kind of antibiotics should she be on? Report is as follows:
>
>
>Thank you for referring the radiographs On Peppersprout....
>
>female Ferret presented with the history of decreased activity level.
>Lateral and
> dorsoventral XXXXXX DVM whole body images dated 07/06/04 were
>available
>for interpretation.
>
>The cardiac silhouette is mildly enlarged. The pulmonary vasculature is
>difficult to discern.
>There is a mixture of bronchial, peribronchial, and interstitial changes in
>the lungs.
>
>There is poor serosal detail. In addition, the abdomen has a patchy
>appearance. There is
>granular material within the stomach as well as the small intestine and
>colon. The small
>intestine is atypically distributed. Some segments are on the upper limits
>of normal for
>diameter. On the lateral projection, there is an oval soft tissue opacity
>ventral to the 1st,
>2nd and 3rd lumbar segments. This is felt to represent the head of the
>spleen and is thought
>to appear this way due to slight patient obliquity. The spleen is
>prominent,
>however I feel
>it is normal for a ferret. The urinary system is within normal limits.
>There
>are no osseous
>abnormalities.
>
>In summary, Peppersprout has cardiomegaly. The pulmonary parenchymal
>changes
>are mosl consistent
>with asthma as well as concurrent interstitial pneumonia. I am concerned
>about the appearance
>of Peppersprout's abdomen.. Consideration should be given to enteritis or
>peritonitis, or a small
>amount of peritoneal effusion. An echocardiogram as well as an abdominal
>ultrasound are suggested
>to complete your evaluation.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--
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>visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
>
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