From:
"Bruce Williams, DVM"
Date: 2007-08-25 15:42:58 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: cardiomyopathy
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Dear Heather:
As cardiomyopathy is a progressive disease, we can expect it to
getworse with time. As you know he is already on borrowed time, I
think that you can approach your vet to try additional medications.
Two other drugs that can be used in ferrets are enalapril (a
vasodilator which lowers his blood pressure and helps a failing heart
pump the blood), a drug many vets don't use much any more, which
raises calcium levels in heart muscle.
All four drugs can be used in concert, although we usually add one at
a time. I think that is is common for a lot of vets, expecially
those who don't do a lot of ferrets to go with the newer drugs,
execially as the potential for side effects is less, but digoxin has
been a mainstay of CMP treatment for years and years, and it sounds
like time to pull out the big guns.
With kidest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Heather" <standingoak@...>
wrote:
> I want to say to start that this is an absolutely fantastic list,
I've learned so much, even about ferret related subjects that don't
pertain to me at this point in time.
> Now my question. To rehash a bit. I have a 7 or 8 yr old ferret
(rescue) who has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. He's presently
on Furosemide 2mg TID and Vetmedin 1.25, one quarter capsule BID. He
was originally put the Furosemide BID but it has recently been
increased to TID. When he was first given these meds his quality of
life increased by huge amounts, the swelling lessened and he was more
active.
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