From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2009-02-19 11:23:49 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret with Lymphoma, now hind-end weakness
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Judy,
Gosh lymphoma is such a nasty, horrid disease.
I don't know if Perla's hind-end problems are related to the chemo,
however, I can tell you that during his palliative care Ash did have
some really bad days when he could barely move and the supportive
medication needed to be adjusted. Generally adjusting the dose made
a huge difference. Eventually it got to a point where I knew if he
had a bad day then I needed to increase the Dex, sometimes double
what he had been on and then wean him back down again over a few
days. This was true of all the medications he was on depending on
what the presenting clinical symptoms were.
Dexamethasone is a powerful steroid, much stronger than pred and it
was a godsend to have the injectible kind that could be adjusted
easily.
Fortunately, I did have strong veterinary support. Even when my local
vet was away I was in contact with a vet long-distance who was
experienced in managing terminal conditions in ferrets. I was never
without this valuable guidance.
Do you have a back-up vet you can consult with until your vet returns?
Given my own experience, I would say to expect good and bad days.
The bad days are scarey but can be gotten through. My suggestion is
to discuss with your vet what you can do on the bad days, especially
weekends when your vet may not be available. Find out what the range
of dose is that you can adjust as needed. Ask about having a
stronger steroid on hand like Dex.
Hugs,
Tressie
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/