From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-01-25 16:58:40 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Chance- Bilateral Adrenalectomy- Final Blood Values
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Okay, two of the things that have to be considered:
The first is simply that a ligation of the Vena Cava is very hard
to get through, even when a surgeon checks first for collateral
circulation by pressing the vein shut, cutting the Cava is not a
small thing though when needed it is essential to give a chance
to the individual.
The second is the electrolytes.
Either Fludrocort/Florinef or Percorten is needed in conjunction
with the Prednisone or Prednisolone. In addition working that
close to the liver may inflame the liver which would make
Prednisolone a better choice than Prednisone. The liver converts
Prednisone to Prednisolone before the body can utilize it, but an
inflamed or compromised liver does not do as good a job.
Some ferrets need some table salt to increase their sodium level
with Addisons -- that is rare and I had forgotten about it till now
(Apologies, but I was on a glaucoma med for a month+ that had
nasty side effects including being almost constantly half asleep;
we just found out that one wasn't working and are trying a new one
so I am more awake and more comfortable now again.) Anyway,
that approach can at times bring up the sodium in relation to the
potassium until balance can be found, and mea culpa for forgetting
to mention it earlier in the discussion. We've had only one who
needed that trick over the decades but he really needed it.
Let's see how the sodium and potassium electrolytes compare with
those in the blood values chart at the Miamiferret website:
Two things need to be considered with these electrolytes: overall
numbers AND proportion.
>From the Miamiferret Site
Sodium (mmol/L)
Mean 153
Acceptable Range 143-163
Potassium (mmol/L)
Mean 4.47
Acceptable Range 3.2-5.77
Your ferret's values for these were:
NA+ 157 138-160
so the sodium was in an acceptable range
K+ 8.2* 3.7-5.8
but the potassium had gotten too high
Now, I am not a vet so I can't say for sure that this is Addisons,
but the electrolyte proportion was all wrong. *IF* that is
enough of a disproportion then it is Addisons. To survive cells
need the sodium and potassium electrolyte levels to not only
be high enough but to be in the right proportion. This is the
type of problem which the Fludrocort/Florinef or Percorten
would have handled. I suggest finding past veterinary posts
which contain the words:
Fludrocort or Florinef or Percorten
in
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
and calmly sharing these with your vet. It is a tragedy that
Chance died but the only way that other ferrets will be safer
in the future is if your vet can learn this without emotions
wanting to turn off the lesson about those two meds, either
of which can be used. *IF* this was enough of a disproportion
in those electrolytes the realization alone is going to be
heartbreaking enough for the vet as I know for certain that it
is for you. I am so very sorry for your loss.
Sukie (not a vet)
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