From:
"lgv999"
Date: 2007-11-11 15:48:21 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Ferret with Lymphoblastic Leukemia
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I have a pet store ferret who is 3 1/2 yrs old. He is a Canadian Real Ferret. He was
adrenal at 1 yr old, had surgery last Oct and had his left adrenal gland removed. 2 1/2
weeks ago I saw he was losing weight. 2 sundays ago he threw up a couple of times in the
am and just didnt look right. I thought possibly he had an obstruction even though I am
very very careful. I subq'd him 60 cc sunday night and he just slept all night.
I separated him from his buddies all day Sunday and then took him to Dr X on an
emergency visit on Monday morning. Dr X asked if I could leave him and they ran
blood work, xrays etc. His white count was 51,000! The blood was then sent out for
analysis and the white count was over 31,000. Dr X suspected leukemia and we set
him up for a bone marrow aspirate on Wed. The aspirate came back as lymphoblastic
leukemia but the cells were immature still so we know it was caught very early.
Dr X called Dr Mayer at Tufts and got the protocol that he has used and had a handful
of ferrets do ok on it. I was worried about putting Teddy on this because it is a hard
treatment with pretty tough chemo drugs. In the end I decided to try pred and leukeran. I
also have him on omeprazole 0.5ml (capsule) 2xs per day. Teddy no longer eats on his
own. Ever since 2 sundays ago. I had to sryinge feed him A/D the 1st week and now he's
eating A/D for me off a spoon on my lap. But he wont eat out of the bowl and if I didnt
feed him he would not eat at all. I have been adding water to the A/D because I dont see
him drinking either.
Has anyone ever used this drug? Has anyone ever had a ferret with this disease? Any help
would be apprecited.
Lisa
AFA Education Director
Oxford Ferret Rescue Volunteer
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