From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-03-24 17:52:52 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret Losing a Great Deal of Weight
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Well, certainly, there could be an undiscovered cause of
weight loss such as cardiomyopathy or lymphoma, but
a very badly enlarged spleen can cause problems all by
itself.
Think of the size of the thing. It presses against the stomach
and the intestines. It can make it hard for feces to pass from
the transverse colon to the descending colon, etc. Those
sorts of things will reduce appetite.
Find out if your vet has removed ferret spleens before. We've
had a few ferrets have them out, even in the years before there
were surgical advances and have not had a problem except that
they had to be prevented from over-exerting themselves for
2 weeks post-surgically because once they got out that added
weight they tended to be too frisky too soon so had to be slowed
down some.
Do read the postsurgical tips in the FHL Archives:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
because the most common causes of problems can be not knowing
what to avoid and what may pose a hazard or need immediate vet
care once the ferret comes home. NO climbing (even ramps), NO
strenuous activity, etc.
The outcome also depends on WHY the spleen is enlarged, for example
infection, lymphoma, etc.
BTW, a past vet of ours used to describe that it was important -- if
the spleen could handle it -- for him to gently pat down the enlarged
spleen before removal so that the hoarded red blood cells in there
would be returned to circulation before the spleen came out.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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