From:
Chelsey Baker-Hauck
Date: 2007-05-15 20:23:00 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Aspiration pneumonia/dental
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I took my 6-year-old male, Patches, in for a routine dental
yesterday. All went well, teeth were cleaned, no extractions. He also
had a small injection-site growth removed for biopsy. He had
bloodwork and UA done a month ago...all normal. He's the picture of
health.
Here's where it gets complicated:
I spoke to the vet at 1: all was well. I picked Patches up at 6, and
on the way home (about 15 minutes from the vet) he started coughing
violently and then coughed up a fair amount of yellowish foam that
smelled like phlegm. We were home within a couple minutes and I took
him out of the carrier; he was completely listless, somewhat ashen
and was gasping for breath (diaphragmatic breathing). Called the vet
immediately, and as they were closing and suspected this was serious,
sent me to the emergency hospital. There was no ferret vet on staff
at the time, but someone who was somewhat familiar w/ferret emergency
medicine. They rushed Patches into an oxygen cage and took an x-ray
that they thought showed aspiration pneumonia OR congestive heart
failure. They said his right lung was completely filled with fluid.
They gave him lasix--no change--which led them to rule out the heart.
They started an IV, began treating with antibiotics and continued the
oxygen therapy as well. 2 vet shifts and 12 hours later they said he
was critical and unstable and couldn't be transferred; they thought
they might lose him. At 8 this morning, Patches' regular vet checked
in w/me after speaking to the third vet shift at emergency. That
time, they reported that he was pink and perky and much better and
could be transferred. He's back at his regular vet now, oxygenation
is OK even off the O2, and they say he can come home tonight (he'll
spend the rest of the day on oxygen). His vet reviewed the films from
last night, said it definitely does not look like the heart and that
the lung doesn't look as bad as he expected from the emergency doc's
report.
Here's where I'm confused. The emergency clinic diagnosed him with
aspiration pneumonia. But, his regular vet does not see how that is
possible. Patches was intubated, but he says that there is a cup that
prevents aspiration. He was monitored in post op all day with no
observed issues. The vet listened to the heart and lungs before
leaving for the day and said all appeared normal. He says that if
Patches did vomit unobserved later in the day, then the gag reflex
would have prevented aspiration. I took the coughing fit and foamy
sputum to be a sign of pneumonia, but could it have triggered the
problem? Can something like this progress so quickly from coughing to
full-blown pneumonia in about an hour? His vet did mention the
possibility (he says it's a long shot) that the problem was caused by
a lack of full air exchange on the one side, which I guess can happen
if they're on one side too long. That can cause an
irritation...Patches was out for only about 20 minutes, though.
Patches is expected to make a full recovery. But my question is, what
the heck happened? Has anyone else experienced a complication like
this following a simple, routine surgery?I don't feel like I'm
getting the full story from any of the 4 vets who have treated him in
the past 24 hours.
Chelsey
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