From:
"Ulrike"
Date: 2005-03-12 19:51:04 UTC
Subject: Anaemic ferret and (blood transfusion) q's- sorry long
To: "FHL" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-Id: <42334828.00000B.02172@FERRETLOVE1>
I have yet another sick ferret, at the beginning of the week Reno suddenly
went downhill, he lost a lot of weight very quickly and became very weak.
When I noticed how much weight he had lost (he has a very big spleen so his
tummy appeared normal but the ribs suddenly became very prominent), I hand
fed him but realised he didn't want to eat. Thursday he became so weak that
he had difficulty walking, Friday I took him to the vets. He was x-rayed
because vet thought of heart disease but heart appeared normal. He had a
blood test and the vet did an in-house blood test so some values were not
tested and the normal range given is not that of a ferret (they don't have
the ferret values) so I spent all day today trying to figure out the blood
test results. Last night my vet diagnosed renal failure but while some of
Reno's blood test results and some symptoms are in line with end stage renal
failure, I wasn't happy with that diagnosis because Reno has not shown any
symptoms of renal failure. Some of the values are:
Hematocrit = 18.1 %
Haemoglobin = 6.2 g/dl (12.0-18.5 g/dl)
WBC = 8.4 x10^9/l (3.5-7)
ALB = 18 g/l (26-41)
UREA = 20.97 mmol/l HIGH (1.9-7.49)
CREA = 66 umol/l (<75.0) creatinine
GLOB = 40 g/l (2.5-4.8 g/dl => 25-48 g/l ?)
My question, what is the normal hematocrit value? They did not do red blood
cell count. How badly anaemic is Reno? I was thinking and wondering if
there could be something wrong other than renal failure. Can an enlarged
spleen cause anaemia? My vet felt the spleen but did not feel lumps or
anything, the spleen feels okay to her.
Not knowing what to do and feeling really helpless, I asked my vet to do a
blood transfusion. She took 2ml out of my Wesley and tried to get it into
Reno's jugular vein but didn't manage it and then put it into his abdomen
(intra-pertitoneal (sp?)), she said they can absorb the blood. Is that
right? I am not happy with this blood transfusion. I now read up on blood
transfusions and read about ACD and my vet did not mix the blood with ACD or
flush the syringe with it. I also read about replacing blood with warmed
replacement fluids to prevent hypotension in the donor. Is that important?
I'm just getting frustrated, my vet is overworked and has no time for
research or figuring out what may be wrong with Reno.
The notes she gave me said "wasting, inappetance, splenomegaly, anaemia
(18/20 PCV), ?enteritis (?proliferative: mucus, frequent
stools), radiographically lack of peristolsis or dilation ? thickened bowel
walls), insufficiently concentrated urine, no blood in urine, mildly icteric
plasma"
He is eating a liquid convalescent diet now. Wondering if weakness is a mix
of weight loss and anaemia?
Ulrike