Message Number: SG16918 | New FHL Archives Search
From: dmburman@patmedia.net
Date: 2006-03-25 22:40:35 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Seizures - Urgent
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com

I'm looking for help diagnosing why my ferret had a seizure. Right now he i=
s in the care of Animerge (emergency vet) because my ferret vet (who normal=
ly has emergency service) wasn't answering his emergency pages. At Animerge=
his blood glucose tested normal. The seizures didn't stop after they admin=
istered valium so they inserted a catheter & put him in an oxygen tank & un=
der iso. Then the seizures stopped. These were full-blown, truly awful pret=
ty much non-stop seizures. Animerge doesn't know what it could be if it's n=
ot insulinoma (which it doesn't appear to be with a normal blood glucose le=
vel). Any idea what things to look for?

Here's a quick synopsis on the ferret. He's believed to be young, possibly =
as old as 2yo. I took him & a cagemate of similar age in from a shelter bac=
k in February. He was initially grossly overweight. They were surrendered t=
o the shelter when their owner died. They seemed to have diarrhea off & on =
right from the beginning. Initially I thought it might be the change in foo=
d/water, etc and that it would resolve with time. It didn't and when I noti=
ced last weekend that these two ferrets were losing weight I brought them t=
o my vet this past Monday. He tentatively diagnosed ECE and prescribed Amox=
i, Pepto Bismal & metronidazole 2x/day. T.J. (the one having seizures) didn=
't seem to be eating well so I started giving the two of them mush (IAMS ki=
tten canned, Hills A/D & Gerber chicken) along with their meds. For the fir=
st few days T.J. really fought the meds and the mush but on Thursday he sta=
rted eating pretty well and not fighting the meds so much. Yesterday (Frida=
y) he ate really well and seemed to be well on the road to recovery. Their =
stool also seemed to have firmed up considerably, even normal at times.

This morning T.J. fought his meds a bit more than he had the last 2 days bu=
t he ate some mush. I didn't pay attention to just how much he ate though a=
s I had at other times. A short time later I thought I saw him stumble a bi=
t(back end kind of wobble)a couple times but I wasn't positive. I thought m=
aybe he was still a bit weak if he had in fact wobbled. I then went out for=
the day. Upon returning home about 3pm I found him on the floor in a full =
seizure. I immediately thought low blood sugar & tried to get some ferretvi=
te in him while calling the vet. When the vet didn't return the emergency c=
alls & the seizure wasn't stopping I rushed him to Animerge where he remain=
s.

Any thoughts? My vet didn't think insulinoma was likely (when he examined t=
hem Monday & I told of T.J. apparent weakness & lethargy)because of their y=
oung age. Since BG was normal at Animerge - could it have been low enough t=
o have triggered seizures and climbed back to normal from the little bit of=
ferretvite I got in him? What other things should we be looking for? The A=
nimerge vet thought it could possibly be a reaction to the metronidazole. A=
nyone seen that happen? The other ferrets seem okay & I couldn't find anyth=
ing in their room that might have caused a problem for T.J.

I'm so sorry for the length but I wanted to give as complete and accurate a=
picture as possible and I am **so* scared and worried about him.
Thank you in advance for your input,
Diane & T.J.
=

=




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