From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2006-11-12 15:11:36 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Urinary Bladder Cathererization
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Sharon, I think these are the people who will have the best info:
For the mechanics of care:
Dr. Peter Fisher has even written how to do urethrostomy for ferrets so I w=
ould expect him
to have the catheter answer, too, for when that surgery has been avoided.
http://www.petcarevabeach.com/ferretservices.html
******
Sometimes the urethra itself is inflamed afterward and at times doing cysto=
s (removing the
urine by needle) until the urethral swelling decreases is the gentlest appr=
oach. That saved
our Hilbert from having a urethrostomy.
******
What TYPE of stones were they? If the stones themselves were not tested th=
e URINE pH
should be: too alkaline then think struvite but too acidic then think cyst=
ine. This is
essential because they need opposite follow-up approaches!
Of the two uroliths historically the more common has been struvite and with=
struvite
stones the urine is too alkaline and the ferret needs less plant matter and=
more meat in
the diet (and sometimes an acidifier)
In recent years with higher protein foods given more often cystine stones a=
re on the
increase and with those the urine is too acidic (the opposite of the last s=
tone type
described) and the ferret is unable to handle larger amounts of any of four=
amino acids
(building blocks of protein) so the protein levels have to be cut back. Lu=
ckily, most seem
to do fine on a diet of not more than about 35% protein, but on very rare o=
ccasion
medications have been needed. These are discussed in the FHL Archives (whi=
ch are
hosted separately from the FHL) and Doctors Tom Kawaski and Mike Dutton hav=
e each
handled one such case successfully if their journal articles or consultatio=
n become needed.=20
(Finding help to treat unresponsive cystine stones in ferrets is hard so th=
is info is like gold
to have upfront.)
If cystine stones are found there is a study of these stones in ferrets on-=
going so in that
case your vet should contact
Michelle Hawkins VMD Dipl. ABVP (Avian Practice)
Assistant Professor
Companion Avian and Exotic Pet Service
VM: Medicine and Epidemiology
2108 Tupper Hall
University of CA, Davis
Davis, CA 95616
530.752.1363 (ph)
(The team is looking into dietary factors, genetic factors (in humans and s=
ome other
mammals there is one which has been known about for a long time and several=
others
found more recently in people which are less common so there are multiple p=
ossible
genetic routes in mammals in general, etc.
If this team leader, Dr. Hawkins, sounds familiar they are also doing the g=
enetic work into
vulnerability to endocrinological work.
BTW, some of the link information used to write this response comes from th=
e MEDICAL
LINKS at this website. (The links, files, and photo albums at the site are=
for MEDICAL ONES
**ONLY** WHICH MAKES THE INFO ALL THE EASIER TO FIND WHEN A PROBLEM ARISES.=
) I
used the links several times in the past two days to help people get the in=
fo needed, so list
members should know about the resources in files, links, and photos, as wel=
l as the
excellent Complete Archives with years and years of info at
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/=20
Sukie (not a vet)
Reminder: THE FERRET HEALTH LIST IS MOVING.
To join, click on the joining link at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth and then follow the directions.
OR just send a blank mail to the automated joining address: ferrethealth-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com and then follow the directions.
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/