From:
"Sue Liszewski"
Date: 2004-03-25 06:15:18 UTC
Subject: RE: [ferrethealth] high blood calcium, blood protein spikes
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <BAY15-F178cSkaaTcCi000ac16c@hotmail.com>
The most common cause for high calcium is lymphoma and the first case I had
it was intestinal lymphoma. IBD and lymphoma have pretty much the same
symptoms and i wonder if the IBD might not have mutated to lymphoma. With
multiple myeloma you would see boney changes too, so were x rays done? This
is a good step to take when considering multiple myeloma in the
differentials. I would also consider the tick borne diseases too, but I
don't think that would explain the calcium level. Best of luck, hope this
helps a bit and let us know what is found.
Dr. Sue
>From: Sukie Crandall <sukie@mac.com>
>Reply-To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>Subject: [ferrethealth] high blood calcium, blood protein spikes
>Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 17:56:34 -0500
>
>Sherman went in for surgery today.
>
>As is typical for Sherman (who can be seen playing in a photo from a
>few days ago at
>http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2004/03/good_thoughts_f.html )
>nothing is simple. (The fur loss is partly from his R adrenal tumor,
>partly from long-term steroid use for IBD, and partly from shaving for
>tests.)
>
>History: he has had high blood proteins for about a year and recent
>electrophoresis showed two spikes but the pathologists didn't know what
>to make of it. Recently, he also has had high blood calcium. His
>x-rays look okay but the concern that there might be something like
>early multiple myeloma is present for now. He also has IBD of long
>standing which had gotten very unresponsive to meds. We finally found
>that it behaved well for steroid shots every 3 weeks but those also
>caused him to gain a lot of fat which had to come off before this
>surgery. During his dieting he first had a lot of intestinal bloat
>which then resolved, and after a Lupron shot he began losing fat
>unusually rapidly. At the same time he became very playful and
>extremely active again so hopefully that accounts for much of that.
>
>He did not respond as fully to the Lupron injection (a high level one)
>as was expected.
>
>Last year he lost his L adrenal. It had very strange and profuse
>vascularization which was close to blowing out. At that time his R
>adrenal was small and well separated from other organs. (He is our
>second ferret in 22 to have a definite early (before a known age of 5
>years) adrenal tumor.)
>
>Now, the R adrenal was large and invading both liver and Vena Cava.
>Our surgeon did a bang-up job of cleaning it out well though one side
>of the Cava needed a hemoclip to be safest. The liver was very yellow
>so biopsies of that were also taken.
>
>So, he'll be on Florinef and Pred on his return tomorrow night. He
>still has that recalcitrant IBD. No one knows why he has high blood
>calcium levels and that remains a concern, and no one knows why he has
>those blood protein spikes (also a concern).
>
>We won't know until the results of his biopsies come back (and for
>myeloma until the blood results are understood), but he might be lucky,
>or he might have one of several possible malignancies.
>
>Could people, please, post experiences with high blood proteins and
>with high blood calcium?
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a vote
>visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
>
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