From:
"Ulrike"
Date: 2008-12-05 18:54:35 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Gravely ill ferret, glomerulonephritis, misc. Q's
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
X-rays showed oedema in chest cavity and some in abdominal cavity. Likely
from the low albumin. This would also explain the increased respiratory
rate. But this was one of the first symptoms so how could this happen so
suddenly. Piper had a canine tooth out 4 weeks ago and a Suprelorin implant
2 weeks ago. She was always slim and after she had the canine out, I
started to feed her extra portions of ground meat in the morning, I also saw
her eat dry food (a mix of the best ferret and best cat food here in the
UK). Everybody else is thriving on it. She was so athletic, our little
monkey, climbing up walls. Always so active, always running around so much.
Then she suddenly deteriorated Monday. At night she looked like she was in
pain. From Tuesday on she got seriously worse. Her symptoms and blood test
results just don't make sense to us at the moment. My vet mentioned
Squamous cell carcinoma regarding the red vulva.
Piper was euthanised at 4 pm. According to my vet she was somewhat lively
while she was there but then she suddenly showed signs of pain again and
became very quiet, depressed, weak, it had been 8 hours since her
Buprenorphine dose. My vet said she hadn't seen her like this and she was
shocked at the difference and I couldn't watch her like this for another
night so we put her to sleep. The other option would have been to keep her
on pain meds and open her up tomorrow but she was so ill and the bad kidney
values etc. My vet didn't have time for a necropsy but we will do one
tomorrow at 11.30 am. She is in a cold garage now (not freezing) and I hope
the tissues will still be good for histopathology.
Blood test results now:
Haematology
RBC 9.85 x10^12/L (7.5-11.9)
Hb 17.2 g/dl (12-20.8)
HCT 56.2 % (36-68)
MCV 57 fl (42.4-88.4)
MCH 17.5 pg (15-20)
MCHC 30.6 g/dl (26.2-38.6)
Platelets 258 x10^9/L (180-800)
WBC 2.49 x10^9/L (3.5-7) LOW
Neutrophils 70 % 1.74 x10^9/L (1.9-5.9)
Lymphocytes 30% 0.75 x10^9/L (1.7-2.9) LOW
Monocytes 0% 0.00 x10^9/L
Eosinophils 0% 0.00 x10^9/L (0-0.35)
Basophils 0% 0.00 x10^9/L
Blood film examination: 2 fresh blood smears and a film made from the
submitted EDTA were examined. Red cells appear normocytic and normochromic.
Moderate lymphopaenia with no abnormal cells seen. All other leucocytes
appear of normal morphology. Platelet count and morphology appear normal
with occasional platelet clumps in the tail of the EDTA smear.
Biochemistry
Total protein 41 g/L (53-72) LOW
Albumin 18 g/L (33-44) LOW
Globulin 23 g/L
Albumin Globulin ratio 0.8
Sodium 137 mmol/l
Potassium 6.2 mmol/l
Total calcium 1.25 mmol/l (2-2.95) LOW
Phosphate 3.2 mmol/l (1.3-2.9) HIGH
Urea 25.5 mmol/l (3.6-16) HIGH
Creatinine 67 umol/l (35-80)
Alk Phos 37 U/L (30-120)
ALT 161 U/L
Bile Acids 19.3 umol/l
Glucose 7.9 mmol/l (3.4-7.4) HIGH
Clinical comments:
Hypoproteinaemic and hypoalbuminaemic.
May(?) reflect malnutrition/ failure to absorb/ failure to process protein
(liver) or(?) excess loss (gut/ kidney).
Hypocalcaemia may be due to malabsorption or just reflect the
hypoproteinaemia.
The(?) urea is very high. In the absence of a high creatinine, this could
be pre-renal (I would check cardiac function but should also consider gut
disease or(?) a generalised catabolic state) but it is high enough not to
rule out renal failure.
(The ? are by words that were somewhat cut off on the copy of the report.)
Ulrike
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