Message Number: SG12338 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Ulrike"
Date: 2005-01-14 21:34:20 UTC
Subject: High Urea caused by cardiomyopathy???
To: "FHL" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-Id: <41E83ADC.00004A.02340@FERRETLOVE1>

My ferret Dana has been coughing slightly and I had an x-ray done and blood
test, haematology and biochemistry. I wanted to have bloods done anyway as
her sister and brother died of renal failure so wanted to check if her
bloods were okay, as far as I'm concerned she's not exhibiting signs of
renal failure, yet, but smells like Baby and Fox did. She also looks
adrenal with a sparse coat. Anyway, I wanted to catch the renal failure
early if she was developing it.

X-ray showed an enlarged heart, so big even I could see it no problem. (It
also showed problems with the right kidney, we could see the left kidney no
problem but where the right is there are 3 "growths" and we could not
determine which one the kidney was but one must be the kidney and the other
2 shouldn't be there.)

Bloods came back today and the Urea is very high at 37.9 mmol/l (range is 1
9 - 7.49). ALP is high at 103 iu/l (range 34 - 66). Actually, white blood
cells and neutrophils are high, and lymphocytes are low. Clinical comments
were:

"This profile appears to be consistent with your diagnosis of cardiac
disease (presumed congestive cardiomyopathy) with elevated urea. Otherwise
the changes seen do not appear too significant although the eosinophil count
is 10% of the total white cells the normal range in ferrets is reported up
to 8% in some texts."

My question is, a high urea doesn't usually indicate cardiac disease? Or
cardiac disease doesn't cause a high urea? Wouldn't it indicate renal
problems? What about the high white blood cells, I mean they're not that
high at 8.7 x10^9/l (range 3.5 - 7). I know there's probably 2 or 3 things
going on inside her but you wouldn't know by looking at her as she's still
playful and happy and eating well.

Ulrike

West Wales Ferret Welfare
ferretlove_uk@yahoo.co.uk
ferretlove_uk@dsl.pipex.com
http://www.ferretlove.co.uk
Last update 05/01/05