From:
"katharine"
Date: 2004-07-02 09:07:02 UTC
Subject: looks like bladder stones: need to pick brains
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <002601c46013$f0929580$28102cc7@D1CW2811>
I just lost a ferret to struvite (sp?) crystals in his urethra, about 3 wee=
ks ago. This was about 3 weeks following adrenal surgery. Right after adr=
enal surgery, he seemed to have a little trouble urinating but did finally =
go. We "assumed" it was from the surgery and possibly a slightly swollen p=
rostate. On the night before he died, he seemed a little lethargic, but no=
thing alarming. The next morning, he was very lethargic and wouldn't eat. =
He was also backing up and not urinating. I took him immediately to the v=
et. Doc found his urethra totally packed full of these crystals, not a sin=
gle one in his bladder. He successfully removed them via catheter. He was=
carrying Ari back for a second x-ray when he seized. Doc was unable to br=
ing him back. Obviously, it was the anesthesia but there was really no cho=
ice in the matter. =
The x-ray with the crystals is amazing. His urethra is about 3x its normal=
size and there are dozens of them. Doc said they ranged in size from a gr=
ain of sand to about 1/2 a BB. =
Katharine
http://community.webshots.com/user/katharine524