From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-11-14 20:14:07 UTC
Subject: RE: Raid Breathing, Not urinating as much
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <8132044.1100463247210.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Fast breathing can indicate shortness of breath or can indicate pain.
I think your vets are right that lymphoma is a distinct possibility with him. Having it in the pancreas instead of the the more common insulinoma could account for his unusual responses to the meds. Either lymphoma or carcinoma (which is more rapidly invasive) instead of insulinoma can do that and will drop the blood sugar just like insulinoma.
Also, like heart disease, lymphoma can cause ascites and edema. I suspect that what you are seeing as weight gain is only partly fat and partly fluids in his abdomen from your description of how much he urinates.
Holding a ferret who has fluids like that on his back is both uncomfortable and makes breathing hard from pressure on the diaphram which is why he dislikes it and it is best to avoid it.
One tricky thing here: if he has heart disease then Pred is not optimal as a med to take iwth heart disease, but if the symptoms are more from lymphoma then Pred is a good drug for that. Not all cardiomyopathy is easy to find. X-rays spot many cases, but hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can at times be hard to find without an ultrasound, and then there are more unusual forms of heart disease like A/V heart node block secondary to insulinoma, cardiomyomas (if I recall the term right for a tumor of the heart muscle which one of our's had at one time), heart infections, etc.
Yes, you need to consider the possibility of ulcers and it probably makes sense to space the Carafate at an offset time from the other meds. Nausea can also be caused by inuslinoma, and can be caused by lymphoma in some organs such as pancreas or the liver.
Lasix/Furosemide can decrease appetite by reducing the moisure in the nasal cavities so that the individual doesn't smell the food as well, so try mixing a/d or meat baby foods with heated water to warm it and increase smell. Although it sounds strange do have plenty of fluids around so the Lasix won't induce dehydration. It's a balance effort.
And now my periodic reminder that I am not a vet, just someone who has been there.