From:
"xman1az9"
Date: 2009-07-20 03:58:18 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Autoimmune anemia in ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hello all,
I've been reading through the archives of the FHM for the last week while we've been trying to diagnose what is causing the non-regenerative anemia in our ferret and I wanted to see if we could get some feedback.
Our 5.5 y/o ferret Tubby seemed to be having a decrease in energy at the beginning of July and took him to see our vet on July 10th. He was diagnosed as being very anemic (PCV 15%), but our vet didn't want to do a transfusion unless it dropped further. We began treating him for a possible stomach ulcer since he had one previously in 6/08. His condition worsened and on 7/15 we returned to the vet and his PCV was down to 10%. Our vet performed a transfusion of 12 mL from a wonderful donor ferret and sent a sample from Tubby out for a CBC.
Results of the CBC indicated his anemia was non-regenerative (reticulocyte count 0.1%) and his RBC, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels were low. Otherwise the results were all within reference ranges. Since we still had no diagnosis, on 7/17 we decided to travel to the [university -- name removed per FHL rules] veterinary hospital and have a bone marrow aspirate taken. The results were as follows:
"Microscopic determination
Six submitted slides were examined. All smears were hemodiluted. Two of the slides contained low numbers of hematopoietic cells. No bone marrow particles were detected in any smears. No megakaryocytes were seen in any smears. Assessment of iron stores could not be done in the absence of particles. The myeloid to erythroid ratio was ~3:1. Myeloid cells were the predominant cells and progression appeared complete. The erythroid precursors were present but were limited to rubriblasts and prorubricytes which were occasionally binucleate. None of the later stage erythroid precursors including polychromatophils were detected. Low to moderate numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells were present.
Interpretation
Erythroid hypoplasia with maturation arrest is possible, but definitive interpretation of the cytologic findings is precluded by the absence of bone marrow particles."
His right adrenal was slightly enlarged on the ultrasound, but the current best guess for his condition is an immune-mediated disease that is destroying his erythroid precursors once they reach a certain stage of development. He is currently being treated with high dosage corticosteroids and we'll be getting another CBC later this week to see if he is responding.
I haven't found any similar cases in ferrets since most immune references appear to be AIHA, so if anyone of you have possible suggestions based on his test results, I'd definitely be interested in hearing them.
Paul Markel
[Not being a vet I am not sure if this may be worth
consideration but marrow transplants are possible
for ferrets:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG16195
--Moderator]
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