From:
"tzarisabbath"
Date: 2007-09-28 20:55:37 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Can not understand the reason for death
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I sadly lost my jill earlier this year and I'm confused as to what
really happened to her. Due to various reasons she started out the
season with a longer period of heat, but appeared healthy at all time
(she was also checked by vets). Below is a description of the events
prior to her death as well as blood test values and the necropsy
report. I would really appreciate some input, particularly from vets,
to help me understand this, but also from anyone else who might have
some insight. Thank you.
________
HISTORY:
The jill was born in May, 2006 and came in heat when she was about 10
months old. It took 3 weeks from the onset of swelling to full heat
at
which time the jill was bred. The vulva became slightly lighter in
colour and more soft, one and a half week after breeding, but no
decrease in swelling was observed. An ultrasound was performed 4
weeks
later and the vet claimed that he could see a few kits. The jill was
still in full heat and according to the vet this could happen, that a
pregnant jill could still remain in heat. This is what she looked
like
one week before her supposed due date:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/jannichan/milf_29-04-2007.jpg
At the time for her due date she didn't have any kits which was also
confirmed by X-ray.
The jill appeared healthy and was now bred again, and this time her
vulva receded and she went through what appeared to be a normal
pregnancy. She delivered 8 healthy kits on the evening (9-11.30 pm)
before day 42. She settled down with her kits and nursed them. The
following day (1.20 pm) she started bleeding and having contractions
and gave birth to a stillborn and deformed kit:
http://img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=billede292ej7.jpg
http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=billede293zc9.jpg
After that she once again settled down and nursed her kits. During
the
night she had another stillborn, but seemingly normal, kit. The
following day (4.25 pm) she has yet another stillborn and deformed
kit:
http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=billede293jb2.jpg
The jill seemed healthy and nursed her kits through all of this. A
check-up at the vet and an injection (oxy?) confirmed that there were
no more kits. The jill still appeared healthy at this time, no fever
or vaginal discharge and continued to look well and raise her kits
for the next 5 weeks. All 8 Kits are still alive and well 14 weeks
no sign of sickness.
Then one day she could suddenly not use her back legs and appeared
very weak. She was taken to the vet and was found to be severely
dehydrated with a slight yellowing of the mucous membranes in the
mouth. She was bleeding a bit both rectally and vaginally. She did
not
respond to supportive therapy and became increasingly more yellow
during one hour at the vets. Blood tests showed elevated values for
the liver and kidneys and at that point she was euthanized. The blood
values were as follows:
ALB 21 g/l
ALKP 144 u/l
ALT(liver) 1671 u/l
Urea (kidneys) 46,4mmol/l
Ca 2,18 mmol/l
CHOL 5,84 mmol/l
GLU (sugar) 10,11 mmol/l
TP (total protein) 65 mmol/l
Glob 44 g/l
HCT 34,4%
HGB 12,5 g/dl
MCHC 36,3 g/dl
WBC 14,3
GRANS 13,9 *10(9)/l
% Grans 97 %
l/m 0,4 *10(9)/l
%l/m 3 %
PLT 149
The jill was sent to necropsy and here's the report (hopefully
translated into understandable English):
-----------------------
NECROPSY REPORT:
Weight 0.78 kg. female, ferret, cadaver.
HISTORY:
bleeding from behind and hind leg weakness, dehydrated.
EXTERNAL/INTERNAL EXAMINATION:
The ferret was found to be of normal body weight with well developed
subcutaneous and abdominal fat deposits. There was a slight yellowing
of the fat and the mucous membranes.
The oral cavity, pharynx, and eye region was found to be normal and
there were no anomalies in the skin. There were no palpable swellings
or asymmetry in joints or limbs. The heart was of normal size and
shape and with intact function. The lungs were of normal size and
shape with diffusely distributed congestion. The liver was swollen
with yellow colouring and congestion. There were no food in the
stomach but some slightly bloody content. The intestinal canal
contained only small amounts of a slimy content. The kidneys appeared
light in colour. The bladder appeared unremarkable as did the uterus
and ovaries. The left adrenal gland appeared enlarged. There were
bleedings and nodular densities in the pancreas. The other organs
were
unremarkable.
HISTOLOGY:
LIVER: diffuse, moderate - massive, hepatocytic lipid vacuolation
(hepatic lipidosis) and congestion.
OVARIES: normal looking ovarian tissue.
UTERUS: normal looking uterine tissue, no sign of inflammation.
KIDNEYS: normal looking renal tissue.
ADRENAL GLANDS: normal adrenal gland tissue.
INTESTINES: diffuse moderate catarrhal enteritis.
MAMMARY GLANDS: there were accumulation of some neutrophil
granulocytes in the alveoli and surrounding connective tissue
(inflammation), and areas with clusters of cocoid bacteria.
PANCREAS: the pancreas tissue was focally replaced by multilobular,
well defined, uncapsulated moderately cellular neoplasms. The lobules
were separated by flows of fibrous tissue. The neoplastic cells were
arranged in rows and irregular strings and surrounded by a fine
fibrovascular stroma. The neoplastic cells were polygonal with a
moderate amount of eosinophil granular cytoplasma. Nuclei were
round -
oval with fine chromatin and a single indistinct magenta nucleolus.
The mitotic rate was less than 1/10 HPF. There were multifocal mild
bleedings at the periphery of the neoplasms, hemosiderin-laden
macrophages, and scattered accumulations of lymphocytes, plasma cells
and unusual neutrophils.
BACTERIOLOGY:
Liver: sterile.
Intestines: nonhemolytic E. coli, small number in mixed culture.
The intestines had overgrowth of proteus bacteria.
Vaginal swab: Enterococcus faecalis, small number in mixed culture.
Vaginal swab: nonhemolytic E. coli, small number in mixed culture.
Mammary glands: unspecific mixed flora.
VIROLOGY:
blood antibodies for plasmacytos virus were not found [ADV negative]
CONCLUSION:
There is a diffuse catarrhal enteritis, mild bacterial mastitis, and
(presumed secondary) massive hepatic liposis (fatty liver).
Furthermore, there's neoplastic growth (insulinoma) in the pancreas.
This type of tumour is common in this species.
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