From:
"Cindy Scheidt"
Date: 2008-11-15 15:41:38 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Nic Nac's blood panel
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
OK, ignorance time for Cindy. Guess that is why I consider this group
the best learning ever buttttttttttttttttttttt - I do not have a clue
what this response means, as I do not understand some of the
references noted. ( guess that shows no real medical background on my
part)
If Nic-Nac is anemic, which was noted at the symposium - then should
there not be something done about this. I do know that it was
suggested to use Pet Tinic Iron Drops, .25 twice a day. Is this
enough to assist with the anemia problem?
I am sure Vickie will probaby post with an update on Nic-Nac as she
took him to a new recommended vet.
If I am not mistaken the vet visits began 9-23 and have continued to
now. With all the blood work taken, and 3 vets seen I do not
understand why no one was in agreement on anything, and the plan of
treatment was totally different with all three. Surely something is a
miss with this situation.
Thanks so much Tony for your time and information, ( just wish I
could understand it, it is awful to be this unknowledgeable on this )
Cindy
[Moderator's Note: Leaving in the long quotes because this is more
understandable with all attached.
If any of the vets decided to take the ferret's blood when the ferret
was temporarily calmed by the anesthesia gas, Iso, the result will
be that the red blood count will look lower than it otherwise would
so when deciding if a ferret is anemic or not it is important not only
to know the numbers but also to know if anesthesia was used and if
so then which type was used.
Info on some causes of anemia:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG3766
At this time it seems that a concise refresher post on the symptoms
and medical history might be useful. I can recall all the talk of
multiple vets but have forgotten the symptoms among all the rest,
and if one person does that then others will. So, a short refresher
only of the symptoms and ferret's own medical history, using this
same subject line "Re: Nic Nac's blood panel" could be useful. All
I see is that he is not fevering, he is eating though the vet has been
changing foods for him (Reason?), but he may be lethargic, but it is
hard searching through all the posts for a bit here or there and would
help to have the ferret's symptoms, age, weight, eating habits,
potty habits, and medical history all in one place with nothing else
added to that post.]
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Tony Clarke" <Tonytclarke@...>
wrote:
>
>
> > On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 10:47 AM, Cindy Scheidt <ScheidtC@
> > wrote:
>
> > A new CBC with manual differential was done, and anemia comes up
> > again (hct 39%). There are unfamiliar (to me) items in the
> > differential.
> > It would be great if someone in the know could tell us if they are
> > significant in this overall picture. For instance, I can do a
> > search a learn the definition of polychromasia, but I don't know
how
> > significant +3 is. The original sheet of results is scanned and
> > available at the above URL, but for convenience:
> >
> > WBC 5.28
> > RBC 8.100
> > HGB 13.3
> > HCT 39.1
> > MCV 48.3
> > MCH 16.4
> > MCHC 34.0
> > Platelet estimate adequate.
> >
> > Manual Differential
> > SEGS 64
> > BANDS 0
> > LYMPHS 23
> > MONOS 10
> > EOS 3
> > POLYCHROMASIA +3
> > HYPOCHROMASIA +1
> > POIKILOCYTOSIS +1
> > ANISOCYTOSIS +2
> > OVALOCYTES OCC
> > STOMATOCYTES OCC
> > HOWELL JOLLY BODIES +1
>
> Some caution maybe needed here...
> If this blood sample was taken under anesthesia (isoflurane) then
> HCT and HGB will have a lower than the true value.
> See..
> Distribution of technetium 99m-labeled red blood cells during
> isoflurane anesthesia in ferrets ( PMID: 9215458).
> and...
>
> and an extract from US vet school (University of Georgia)
> http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/clerk/kim/index.htm
> START QUOTE
> Problem 2 - Moderate anemia
> The complete blood count (CBC), taken at the time of peripheral
> lymphadenopathy, revealed a moderate anemia with a decreased red
> blood cell (RBC) count and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration. The
> reticulocyte count and plasma protein concentration were not
> assessed. Anemia may reflect red blood cell loss, destruction,
> decreased or ineffective erythropoiesis, or hemodilution from
> intravenous fluid administration. The blood sample was collected
> under isoflurane anesthesia. In ferrets, isoflurane anesthesia has
> been associated with a transient but marked decrease in hematocrit
> (Hct), RBC and Hb concentration values. Greater than 30% difference
> was noted in these indices when comparing pre-anesthetic and
> anesthetic blood samples from individual healthy ferrets. The
> mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown.
>
> When the CBC was repeated 22 days later (on the conscious patient),
> the Hct and Hb values were just slightly below reference intervals.
> Given the variations in the published reference ranges for ferrets,
> these values could fall within the low end of the reference range.
> Without evidence of hemorrhage, hemolysis, or regeneration, the
> initial change in Hct was attributed to the effects of isoflurane.
> END QUOTE
>
> Tony (not a vet), Sugar and Suki.
> In memory of Sally and Sue
>
------------------------------------
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