From:
"MC"
Date: 2006-12-10 22:51:37 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Something Different
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
I don't have all the details yet, but...
Thursday morning, I lost my Abraham, a 4-year-old MF boy to a torsion of the spleen.
I played with him on Tuesday night before putting them in their room for the evening. About 2 am, I 'tucked' the Brat Pack in, is as my regimen, when I went to bed at 2 am. I noticed then that he wasn't out begging for treats, tongue going 20 mph and walking around on his hind legs to get my attention.
I checked him out, and noted a small hard spot in his abdomen on the left side, but it was not tender, so I just figured he was pooped from playing.
At 6 am, I went in to let the kids out and he was in his hide hole with his sleep sack...he did not come out...even when offered a morning treat. I palpated his tummy again and the hard spot was at least 5 - 7 times larger and he gave me a couple of quiet grunts as I applied pressure.. OH boy..immediately off to the vet.
Tests run during the day and x-rays as well as an ultrasound, gave no indication of any blockages, either in the gut or the bladder/urethra. The spleen appeared quite large. A blood sample was pulled for tests and sent off. An in house blood study showed decreased red blood cells...about 38% was the figure given for what ever my vet was looking at. She was not happy with that. Blood sugar was fine.
I left him for the day and night and early Thursday morning, I got a call from my main vet, who was off on Wednesday, asking if I would go by another vet and pick up some hemoglobin. (?? I think that was what it was....) his red count was down to 16 and he was crashing. She put him on O2 but called me back in 10 minutes and said he was gone.
The necroprosy showed a badly twisted spleen (A torsion, it was called) and that was the cause of death.
My vet is a very competent ferret vet...but..as I said, unfortunately, she was off on Wednesday and her partner opted not to do emergency surgery on Wednesday...in hindsight, she should have, and it appears that she did not pass all the info along to my main vet when she talked to her about Abraham. She is young, and just learning about ferrets, so I hope her delay in performing an emergency exploratory look, will teach her to be a little less hesitant the next time a ferret comes to their practice, in gastric distress. I am hurt, yes, but ultimately, I don't blame her...she did the best she knew how, and that is all I can ask for. Life is a learning experience and I am sure Abraham's death will save countless other ferrets seen by her in the future.
Any vets or other with experience here wish to comment on this medical 'happening'? I had never heard of it happening before in ferrets and I have been around the little darlin's a long, long time. I would like to know more about the dynamics of a torsion...why they happen, how it caused the death of my boy, etc.
Thanks in advance
MC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/