From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-02-12 16:06:26 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Comatose Ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Joan" <jevanci1@...> wrote:
>
> Barbara, this could be a minor stroke, or an undetected seizure.
>
In ferrets the most common cause of seizures is hypoglycemia
from insulinoma or more rarely from other pancreatic growths
such as lymphoma or carcinoma there. Of those three, from
our experience, insulinoma is the easiest to deal with and
carcinoma the worst.
In this case I personally think that we concentrate on low blood sugar,
and am concerned about the DMG since everything I find so far indicates
that increases amounts of insulin but here's some seizure stuff:
There have been some ferrets who have had brain pathologies
(many of them rare). Example: we had one who was among the few who
threw a lot of clots. On her penultimate day she threw one to a kidney
which we were hoping would clear safely but on her final day she also
threw one to her brain. In her case she had advanced cardiomyopathy
which began with ventricular bigemini and trigemini. Meltdown was
placed on Enacard when it was still experimental (because our vet then
had contacts in experimental cardiology) but that didn't make enough
of a difference. It was Dr. Williams' suggestion of Digoxin which really
turned things around for her and she lasted something like a year and
a half before she began having thromboses.
ADV, meningitis, and Toxoplasmosis are among diseases that can cause
seizures. So can really extreme fever.
Actually, I recall a past post from Dr. Jerry Murray which lists some
possible causes of seizures in ferrets. Let me see if I can find it. Here:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG7131
There are several things that can cause
seizure activity in ferrets. Rabies, distemper,
Aleutian disease, insulinoma, lymphoma, fungal
infection, listeriosis, toxoplasmosis, kidney or liver
failure, and Addison's disease can all cause seizures.
How high was her blood glucose?
Diabetic ketoacidiosis could be another possibility.
Hope that helps,
Jerry Murray, DVM
I don't know if anything has changed over time but have not
heard of any such changes in information, these speak about
stokes not being a consideration:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG11338
includes:
START QUOTE
Regarding the theory of stroke - this is really not a problem in
ferrets - stroke is most often seen in species with chronic
cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis, such as humans and
certain inbred species of animals, but not ferrets.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
END QUOTE
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG3833
also from Dr. Williams who is a a ferret expert veterinary pathologist
includes:
START QUOTE
To my knowledge, strokes have never been diagnosed in ferrets - nor
have I ever seen evidence of intracranial hemorrhages in ferrets.
END QUOTE
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG2176
also from Dr. Williams:
START QUOTE
Interesting - ferrets do not have strokes - strokes are a peculiarly
human disease which is associated with atherosclerosis - a disease
yet to be diagnosed in ferrets.
END QUOTE
Sukie (not a vet)
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