From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-02-25 17:00:34 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Me and my vet are stumped, I need all the help you guys can give me
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Which blood tests were done? CBC? Chemistry Panel?
Please, type in the results (all, not just ones marked
because proportions are important. Also, the numbers
for ferrets differ from those for dogs or cats so have to
be different considered if they weren't.
These are useful. (These three are mostly for your vet
while you should also read them if you get a chance but
be sure to read the rest of the links given.)
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/physiology.htm
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/PDF/10_steps.pdf
Were any images taken? With these symptoms (cough,
lethargy, age) the chest should be imaged to look for
possible congenital heart disease, lung disease, possible
Juvenile Lymphoma (an enlarged thymus can help spot that).
The abdomen should be imaged to look for possible blockage
or other things wrong. ***** In a kit this age a blockage from a
n ingested foreign object is the most common cause of
lethargy.***** Is the ferret drinking, eating, passing stool?
What is the condition of the urine? pH? Bacteria, blood, or
sediment present? Specific gravity?
These are all serious causes and some, including blockages
have to jumped on immediately.
Why is the ferret on Pred?
Has the ferret been considered of checked for things like ECE,
ADV, parasites such as coccidia instead of just thinking "IBD".
Read these and notice that vet hospitals sometimes do not check
often enough or for the right form of coccidia and if you search
further in thearchives you will find that contributed to deaths
from a recurrent coccidia last year:
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/ECE/ECE.html
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG590
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG616
There are also some less common causes of extreme lethargy
such as more rare malignancies for kits, and some serious
infections including the new but rare FIP like illness which is
hitting kits, and also (not seen as much as before) myofasciitis
(previously called DIM but you mention only the one general
symptom and age as things which can fit
it, and not diagnostic things):
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG1094
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG923
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
Is this ferret dehydrated and if so is the ferret on IV or on at
least once daily sub-cutaneous fluids?
PLEASE GIVE MORE INFORMATION AND DO SOME MORE TESTING
IMMEDIATELY! Thanks much!
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lOt0.A/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/1MOolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/