From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-02-28 19:04:40 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Me and my vet are stumped, I need all the help you guys can give me
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
When we had a ferret with both pneumonia and pleurisy we ran into the problem that most
vets do not know that listening in not sufficient to find most cases of heart disease and lung
disease (let alone JL which would have no way of being found that way).
Because her coughing began suddenly we had to take a non-ferret vet (and remember that
just because people call themselves ferret vets does not mean that really know ferrets) who
kept insisting that Meeteetse was fine. Well, we knew better so we insisted on x-rays. The
next thing we knew after the x-rays were looked at was that the vet we saw was pulling the
hospital's actual ferret vet out of a different exam room. Meeteetse's almost entire chest was
foggy. She quite literally could have died at any point, but that could not be heard. If we had
not insisted on x-rays she would not have survived but as it turned out she responded well to
multiple antibiotics and have more fun years in her.
Certainly, listening being insufficient is also a scenario people have encountered with heart
disease and with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy even x-rays may not be sufficient. (Many
cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are not found till after death.)
If your vet is truly stubborn point out that there are 4 indicators of Juvenile Lymphoma
(coughing, ascites, extreme lethargy and young age) and say that you would like chest x-rays
to check the thymus. (Doing so will also spot most cases of the other two problems).
Otherwise, find a vet who will do the needed testing.
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