From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2005-06-15 21:46:07 UTC
Subject: unusual anemia
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <E40ECD89-A5DF-4133-8159-F8E22894CFB7@optonline.net>
Because of the FHL malfunction I am carrying this post to the FHL.
Please, respond directly to the poster whose address (in case it
doesn't make it through) is
sindahise at yahoo.com
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Sindahise <sindahise@yahoo.com>
> Date: June 15, 2005 4:44:26 PM EDT
> To: sukie crandall <sukiec@optonline.net>
> Subject: Re: the unusual anemia your ferret has
>
>
> Okay, here is the note direct although at this point I'm not sure
> if there will be time for any answers to matter as we are literally
> running out of time... (sigh).
>
> Topic Header: Disappearing Blood Transfusion.
>
> Hi all,
>
> On Sunday (6/11/05) We got Teegre (approx 2 year old neutered
> female) her 4th transfusion. Some of you will remember me
> mentioning her before. She's had a very severe anemia that we
> ASSUME is being caused by an estrogen toxicity. (She's had her
> Left Adrenal removed back on the 16th of May.) Her bone marrow is
> shut down, we know that much. Over the last few weeks her PCVs
> have dropped from 22-22-15 to (on Sunday) 12. She was losing
> energy and I took her into the emergency clinic for the 4th
> transfusion.
>
> They didn't do the procedure as normal (new vet, unaccustomed to
> doing transfusions on ferrets) but he drew 12ccs from one ferret
> and did give her 12ccs some time later (30 min???) - they have the
> devil's own time getting a vein. I've never seen them not get a
> vein on the transfused ferret first but of course they didn't ask
> me which way to do this.
>
> Monday morning at clinic in Seattle (we FINALLY have a good consult
> going!!!!) the post transfusion Hemocrit came back 12!!!!!
> (exactly the same as pre-transfusion!)
>
> Now the assumption was that Teegre has micro-ulcers (stress) and
> that she is suddenly losing blood because of those (causing the
> 22-22-15-12) but she can't have lost that much blood in 12 hrs from
> micro-ulcers and she isn't bleeding OUT I would have seen that.
> Her stools are normal color, no visible blood, no scent of blood.
>
> She isn't bleeding internally, her abdomen is soft and non-tender.
>
> She isn't destroying the blood wholesale. When they did the spin
> down there was no sign of "destroyed blood products". The vet
> explained that there would be a "yellow line" showing up and he was
> stunned to note there wasn't ANY yellow line in the tube, not even
> what you would NORMALLY see - it was CLEAR. He couldn't explain
> that. It was just blood and clear fluid. Not even the NORMAL
> amount of yellow showed up much less what you would expect to see
> if the blood had hemolyzed from a bad transfusion or if she was
> destroying the blood cells due to her spleen attacking the
> transfusion (etc, etc).
>
> So, Sunday night she got a 12cc blood transfusion that by Monday
> morning apparently disappeared. If Teegre's life wasn't on the
> line I'd joking say the aliens swept in and stole her blood!
>
> Can ANY of you explain this to me?
>
> It likely is moot but I am about to go insane -- I can't account
> for 12cc of fresh blood she got Sunday night. They put it in but I
> don't know where because she certainly didn't benefit from it!
>
> The vet clinic gave her 11 cc of oxyglobin on Monday. They
> couldn't get a transfusion to work for her -- we didn't have
> another donor so we went with oxyglobin (and truthfully we might
> have been safer doing it at any rate with the mystery of the "lost"
> transfusion hanging over us.)
>
> All of Teegre's tests -- now gathered together for the FIRST TIME!
> -- are coming back contradicting each other. Secondary reports
> which were never forwarded to me (GROWL!) are contradicting the
> primary reports. The "copper toxic liver" comes back showing that
> it wasn't... the first report was just WRONG. The bone marrow
> that was "shut down by some severe toxicity" IS still showing that
> it is shut down but a "world class pathologist" (sorry I don't have
> the name) but I'm told he is "considered to be the best", states he
> has never seen anything like this before. The bone marrow IS shut
> down but he has no clue by what or why. SIGH.
>
> We are going to be seeing [Recommended Vet whose name is removed
> per rules since she will now be the treating vet] on Friday and I
> hold out what SLIM hopes I still have based on her reputation.
> Teegre is doing well right now, eating well, moving well but of
> course we are seeing a ferret who might well be working on ONLY
> oxyglobin for all I know and might not have a single red blood cell
> left in her body. When the oxyglobin wears off, over the weekend,
> we might have nothing left at all.
>
> Her current treatment is: pepcid, pepto, amoxi/flagyl (in
> combination). She was given a 200u dose of Lupron on the 10th.
> Beyond that it is supportive and prayers.
>
> At this point I'm really not expecting help so much as just any
> opinions on that blood transfusion question. Anything?
>
> Linda K & Teegre
End of ferrethealth Digest
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