From:
"clovicat"
Date: 2008-05-29 03:54:29 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Colitis
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi,
I am new to this group, but I really would love some information
if anyone has any suggestions. I have a 4.5yr old neutered male
ferret, who has been pretty healthy for his life. About a month ago,
I caught him straining in the litter box, when he was out playing. I
am an emergency vet, so I took him in to the clinic, sedated him and
got blood, rads, and ultrasounded what felt like a full bladder. It
was actually a renal cyst, blood work was normal, and he was
straining to defecate.
I started him on amoxi, carafate and tried kaolin pectin. he
was good weight, acting fine otherwise, and seemed pretty normal.
His stool was scant, and very loose.
Since then, he has progressed to being very lethargic, only
eating meat baby foods with either a/d or pedialyte in it, by
syringe. He has weakness in his hind limbs, I think because he is
straining so much, has some frankly bloody stools, and cries when he
defecates. He has fluctated in weight, but I think that is mostly due
to dehydration. I give him sq fluids, which he barely tolerates, but
he would not leave a catheter in if I placed one - we've tried before
this illness with him. He has only vomited once, and that was while
he was straining.
I have checked a fecal cytology, fecal, and repeated blood
work. He does not have eosinophilia, his profile showed only what I
would expect with chronic intestinal irritation. The biggest concern
I have is that his regional lymph nodes - sublumbar and intestinal
near colon are pretty big.
Treatments I have tried are triple therapy for helicobacter, just
to cover, chloramphenicol oral for about 7 days, which did not go
over well! He is getting famotidine injections daily, and is on dex
sp injections because he is so done with oral meds. Could this be
lymphoma? It seems to be contained to just the colon, although we
have not done an exploratory or biopsies. And since he is so
lethargic, sleeping all the time, and not eating well, could he
survive surgery?
Sorry this is so long. I just wanted to give as much info as
possible.
Keryn Plensdorf, DVM
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