From:
"Ulrike"
Date: 2005-03-05 13:07:06 UTC
Subject: Need help with pathology report...
To: "FHL" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-Id: <4229AEFA.00000B.01984@FERRETLOVE1>
My ferret Tara, 3 1/2 years, spayed, stomach blockage surgery 14 months ago=
,
was put to sleep 22nd Feb. She was completely normal on Saturday the 19th
and I watched her play as I did every morning. Sunday I got her out of the=
cage and she could barely move. Went to emergency vets and she got rimadyl=
and baytril. Monday she was worse and was x-rayed and had a blood test. =
Monday night she deteriorated badly, was restless *all night* even though
she found it very hard to move, she moaned all night and seemed to be
suffering badly, so Tuesday she was put to sleep.
I can't understand the diagnosis of heart failure? She seemed to be in
*perfect* health Saturday, she had been completely normal, playful, happy,
bright eyed.
I have no idea whether she had trauma to her back. I did not hurt her and
my husband said he didn't, either, and I believe him. If she got hurt it
must have been a really weird accident because there is nothing dangerous i=
n
the house, nothing very high she could have fallen off or anything.
For now I would like to know how bad the cardiomyopathy was, I don't know
about the heart failure cells, whether that is normal and also the
thickening of the wall in the heart. I've never had such a detailed report=
.=
I'm still in shock after loosing Tara so suddenly and unexpectedly and even=
thought I made the wrong decision having her put to sleep so am "glad" in
some way that she was sick. I just would like to know how sick she was,
obviously we don't know how bad the trauma to her back/ spine was...
Ulrike
=
HISTORY
=
Sudden ataxia, weakness. 1st day tachycardia, tachypnoe, T 100.5 F. 2nd
day with brachycardia and deep breathing, restlessness and vocalization at
home. Eating when hand fed / full stomach and bowel passage on x/ray.
=
Diagnosis
=
See below
=
Prognosis
=
Prognosis Not Applicable
=
GROSS FINDINGS:
=
The heart has a globoid shape with loss of the apex. The left ventricular
wall is 4-5 times thicker than the right ventricular free wall.
=
HISTOLOGIC FINDINGS:
=
The lungs has multiple coalescing areas of proteinaceous edema that flood
the alveolar spaces. A few macrophages filled with Perl=92s positive vacuo=
les
(hemosiderophages =96 heart failure cells) are present in the alveoli.
The spleen is diffusely and markedly congested and contains a few scattered=
hemosiderophages.
Several renal tubules contain golden-brown vacuoles in the cytoplasm of the=
epithelium which are Perl=92s stain negative.
No significant histologic lesions are present in the sections of liver,
pancreas, lymph node or heart examined.
=
COMMENTS:
=
There was gross evidence of a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There is also
pulmonary edema with occasional heart failure cells which supports a
diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The edema, however, is very high in=
protein and appears to be an acute change, probably not entirely related to=
the congestive heart failure.
The clinical signs do not seem to be completely explained by the gross or h=
istologic findings. They appear to have corresponded to an acute lesion wi=
th inflammation, and no evidence of such processes is present in these tiss=
ues. Could there have been severe trauma to the spine or back legs?