Message Number: SG9014 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: sukiec@optonline.net
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 05:55:34 +0100 (BST)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: RE: Diarrhea and Elevated Liver Level
Message-ID: <5029782.1086324934331.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Liver values: the ALT levels can go way off in ferrets when they don't eat or when food passes through too rapidly. Bilirubin is usually a more important value in ferrets.
See: Confusion and Controversy in Interpreting Ferret Clinical Pathology Data
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html
Most specifically these paragraphs (which I have long-standing permission to quote):
> Probably the most common misinterpretation that I see on a
>routine basis is in the area of hepatic enzymes. Remember, that
>the ferret, being by nature an obligate carnivore, has an extremely
>short digestive tract, and requires meals as often as every four to
>six hours. Should food not be available, it possesses the ability to
>quickly mobilize peripheral fat stores in order to meet energy
>requirements. When this physiologic mechanism is activated, the
>liver is literally flooded with fat, which results in hepatocellular
>swelling which may be marked. The result of this swelling is the
>leakage of membrane enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase,
>and as the hepatocellular swelling increases, occlusion of bile
>canaliculi occurs, resulting, over time, in elevation of alkaline
>phosphatase.
>In conjunction with this physiologic change, elevations of ALT up
>to 800 mg/dl can be seen, and alkaline phosphatase up to
>approximately 100 mg/dl. This often causes confusion to practitioners,
>who render an erroneous diagnosis of unspecified hepatic disease.
>However, hepatic disease is quite uncommon in this species; the most
>common cause of true hepatic disease in the ferret is neoplasia, with
>lymphosarcoma causing 95% of cases. Rarely bacterial infections of
>the liver or biliary tree may be seen.
> The diagnosis of hepatic disease in the ferret must be based not only
>on ALT and alkaline phosphatase, but other clinical indicators in the
>CBC and chem panel. Clinical elevation of icterus or an elevated
>bilirubin is an excellent indicatior of primary hepatic disease, or
>concomitant leukocytosis or pyrexia may lend additional credence
>to a diagnosis of primary hepatic disease.
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.