From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-05-31 22:15:36 UTC
Subject: Sherman starting to improve
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <127527.1086041736385.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
As has been said in past posts Sherman has had long term IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), a not terribly unusual problem in ferrets, but recently it took off very badly, with diarrhea which was very rapid after eating and mostly watery. He had liver damage which was likley partly due to his IBD (ditto his liver enzyme numbers as per
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html
and some blood values which could have been consistent with a not common malignancy or with a chronic severe infection (past posts in http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org. He'd improve for a while and then each time be a bit worse with the bad times longer and longer and closer and closer till last time he had just about 2 decent days between bouts, maybe a day and a half. Several times we have come close to losing him. He was regurging so there was a very real concern about a serious esophageal problem like MegaE.
Now his meds are helping him turn around again.
The premise being followed is that he has a severe GI infection which is non-standard in response to meds and which is ascending his GI tract, which in turn is further compomising his liver.
Steve and I are sleeping in shifts to get the meals into him but if he keeps improving I'll be able to return to a 12:30 bedtime and Steve is alway sup before 6. Aside from milk thistle in a meal a day and sub cu fluids as needed here is what Shermie is getting which is working for him (besides many small hand feedings):
6 a.m.
Metaclopramide (M)
Cisapride (C)
Biosol (B)
Amoxi (A)
btwn then and noon Carafate
Noon
M
C
B
Imuran or a heavy dose of Prednislone on alternate days
Famotidine
btwn then and 6 Carafate
6 p.m.:
M
C
B
A
B vitamins 3 days a week
btwn 6 and midnight Carafate
Midnight
M
C
B
Florinef
small prednisolone dose if it is an Imuran day instead of a heavy Prednisolone one
Famotidine
a while later Carafate
Our joke is that his meds are almost enough to hydrate him by themselves. LOL!
Still, we expected to lose him and now he is turning around so right now he needs this and hopefully soon (a week or more likley several weeks) he'll be stable enough to have some meds for permanent maintenance, some for temporary long term maintenance and the rest not needed.
So, anyway, if someone else runs into a confusing one who decently matches his test results and symptoms here is what seems to be working for Sherman.