From:
"Terry"
Date: 2009-10-02 17:33:41 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Flecainide use in ferrets
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Sam,
If your vet poses that question i.e., Flecainide, to the cardiology section of VIN, you should get a response fairly quickly.
Linguini showed no signs of CHF either or cardiomyopathy but there were signs the isoproterenol was no longer working as well. Initially she was responding to three times a day, then I had to increase the dose to four times a day. EKGs were done regularly to monitor its effectiveness and what started happening was that it didn't last as long to manage the severe bradycardia she had developed, i.e., 60 bpm.
Was an EKG done to check the effectiveness of the isoproterenol? That is, EKG before dose given, then EKG post-dose over time to check effectiveness e.g., at 40 min., 1 hr.,?
I was very worried about the surgical procedure to implant the pacemaker and whether she would even survive and was reassured that the surgical procedure itself was actually quite simple, however, it takes a cardiologist and a surgeon to do it. The pacemaker is placed into the abdomen. Costs for the procedure vary depending on where its done - lowest quote I received was $1200.00 - the highest $6000.00 (not including pacemaker) all in the U.S. by the way.
The biggest cost is the pacemaker, however, refurbished ones are available for free, if you can find someone to advocate for you at a pediatric hospital. Other option is to contact CanPacers who from time to time get the pediatric sized ones that are suitable for ferrets: http://www.canpacers.com/site/view/47115_Home.pml
While euthanasia is never a pleasant prospect to consider it is something to think about BEFORE your fuzzkid goes into heart failure. Ideally he will die gently in his sleep and not gasping for breath in congestive heart failure. I was told that she could go suddenly, that is, die in her sleep; faint and not wake up; sudden cardiac arrest/stroke or worse case scenario go into protracted congestive heart failure.
I do know how difficult it is to be with your beloved fuzzkid at the end, I've taken that journey 6 times this past year. It tears your heart out each time and doesn't get any easier. But it is the single most important thing we can do for them given all they give to us, that is, to be with them when they die if euthanasia is the only option left.
Tressie
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Sam" <samwitch54@...> wrote:
>
> No, we're not going the pacemaker route... The meds have made little to no difference. He shows no signs of CHF so far ...I was just reading that Flecainide was a wonder drug for AV block, but it isn't fully tested in ferrets. So, I wondered if it has been used by anyone here and what their experience was. After putting one to sleep, I just couldn't ever do it again.
>
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