From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-08-30 13:15:42 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Pred belly vs. Cardiomyopathy vs. ???
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Your description could be a belly with fluid if the fluid was of a very large amount, but I
am wondering about something else because usually there is more of a water-balloon
behavior to a belly with fluid in it, in that light taps to the side produce that sort of slosh
many times.
You say the belly is hard and the nodes might be up.
That has me wondering if perhaps the GI tract is inflamed by infection, or if the spleen is
so enlarged that it is on both sides now which could be from a bad infection (as could the
nodes) or there may be lymphoma.
I think you would have said if the nodes were hard as they usually have been when we
have had lymphoma in ferrets here (over a dozen cases in 26 years because they have
included two clumps), so I am wondering about the possibility that your ferret might be
fighting a systemic infection.
Then again, Pred can cause fat to be put down, though that dose is not a large one, and
around the nodes is one place where that can happen. Does it feel like the nodes behind
the upper rear legs and in the underarms are up? Are the nodes hard or soft? Size?
Pred can reduce the ability to fight off infections. If that is a possibility I wonder if your
vet might want to try a round of a broad spectrum antibiotic to see if any change occurs?
Just guessing here...
Of course, it never hurts to do a quick chest x-ray which can pick up several possible
problems there if worried. There are some less common causes of ascites if that
possibility still worries you.
Sukie (not a vet)
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/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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