From:
"carol owen"
Date: 2005-01-25 21:47:42 UTC
Subject: Cystic Adrenal Gland (containing bone)
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <001801c50327$80f78480$bfe26d51@yourvsa8xygmg8>
I lost one of my jills (Ellie) on 7th Jan. Guestimate age around 7 years. =
Her health had been failing for many months. Main symptom was lethargy, b=
ut she also had swelling of her anal glands, persistent swallowing when she=
was held, and since July last year, she would cry when using the litter tr=
ay to poop. Poop always seemed quite normal consistency though, and she'd =
never had diarrhoea, or any GI problems.
Always had a good appetite. Right upto the point of her death.
I'll try to be as brief as possible, but I think it's important to give a l=
ittle history.
Lethargy started around Autumn of 2003. Eating well, but just seemed to ha=
ve less energy. Around November 2003 I took her to the vets, as energy lev=
els were decreasing and she'd also lost weight. Diagnosed with an enlarged=
spleen and given a course of antibiotics, and prednisolone for 3 weeks. S=
pleen reduced in size and she appeared to have a little more energy. a few=
weeks later spleen was enlarged again.
Feb 2004 went in for a laperotomy. Spleen had several nodules on it, and l=
eft adrenal gland was enlarged. Spleen and adrenal gland were removed and =
sent to lab. Results from both adrenal and spleen came back as 'reactive t=
issue' no tumours were found. She recovered well and had a few months of b=
etter energy levels. Then in July we did a faecal sample, because of the c=
rying when using the tray. Nothing found so was given Flagyl (5 days) to se=
e if that helped.
September 2004 lethargy was back and weight dropped considerably. Still ea=
ting heartily. Blood tests and abdominal x-rays were done. Bloods normal =
except a higher than normal white cell count. X-rays revealed a growth on =
the right side, but vet said that it was difficult to know what it was, but=
might be scar tissue from her previous surgery. My vet wanted to do anoth=
er exploratory, but I refused because she was so weak and thin, and didn't =
believe she'd survive the surgery. She came home with antibiotics, as her =
anal glands had been expressed and there was possible infection in there. =
Over the next few weeks her anal glands got larger and appeared blocked. H=
owever, she had gained weight, even though still sleeping for most of the t=
ime.
She passed away earlier this month, and I had my vet take biopsies. Five s=
amples were sent, liver, pancreas, enlarged abdominal lymph node (bowel), k=
idney and a large growth, which was pressing on the vena cava and had adher=
ed to the liver.
Findings were lymphoma, 'chronic interstitial nephritis' and a cystic adren=
al gland that was found to contain bone.
Does anyone know what caused this in the right adrenal? I can't find any r=
eference to 'cystic', or bone being found in one. We're baffled......
Carol