From:
"Bruce Williams"
Date: 2007-01-30 03:21:30 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: white poo and cetera followup
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Do the results below indicate borderline kidney failure or anything
else alarming?
> Should I go ahead and give the cefadrops for a possible infection
affecting Buddy's poop?
> (It seems to be mostly for staph and strep but also e coli,
salmonella. That doesn't sound
> like anything that would cause chronic suspicious poop, does it?)
1/4 ml (@50mg/ml) 2x
> daily OK or harmful? What about giving metacam for pain even
though he's already on .02
> of pred 2x a day--that's two steroids.
>
> ALKP 52 u/l
> ALT 166 u/l
> BUN 15 mg/dl
> CREA .7 mg/dl
> GLU 145 ml/dl
> TP 6.6 g/dl
> HCT 8.7%
> HGB 3.1 g/dl
> MCHC 35.6 g/dl
> WBC 3.5 x10 (to the ninth)/l
> GRANS 2.5 x 10 n(to the ninth/l
> %GRANS 71%
> L/M 1.0 x 10 (to the ninth)/l
> %L/M 29%
> PLT 204 x10(to the ninth)/l
The hematocrit (the percentage of the blood that is cells versus plasma is
extremely low, and likely the cause of the white stools. You don't mention
whether she is pale, but take a good close look at the nailbeds, gums,
pawpads, and nose. I'm betting unfortunately that they are very pale. If
this value is valid, and I have no reason not to believe it, then Buddy is
severely anemic and we are dealing with a life-threatening problem. If the
hematocrit drops below 12 in a ferret, a transfusion is generally
recommended; if it is less than 10, then organ failure, including liver and
kidney is a likely sequela. This bloodwork doesn't suggest renal failure at
this time. The white blood cell count is acceptable at this time.
Causes of anemia in ferrets include significant and prolonged bleeding from
gastric ulcers, other types of blood loss including severe parasitism,
adrenal disease in rare cases, hemolytic anemia, bone marrow disease (most
commonly seen in unsprayed jills), and drug reactions. It is often
difficult to diagnose precisely, but the common causes, including gastric
ulcers, adrenal disease, and prolonged estrus often show other clinical
signs.
This is a very sick ferret.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVm
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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