Message Number: FHL10950 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2010-02-15 17:30:24 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Looking for some answers
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

I agree with Leanne.

On 2/15/10, leanneb39 <leanneb39@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Unfortunatly it could be a number of things. A ruptured ulcer, tumor, liver
> disease (hemangiosarcoma is one that I experienced this with), etc. The only
> way to know was to have the vet do a necropsy.

Some of you who have been on the list for a long time will remember me
writing about a ferret called Pertwee who, during his five and a half
years, had more weird medical issues than all my other ferrets over
the years put together. Anyway, later in his life he ate Bob Church's
Chicken Gravy three times a day with Viokase-V, a pancreatic enzyme,
mixed in. He had chronic pancreatitis and this was the only way he
could maintain his body weight. He also ate kibble (free access) but
he loved his gravy. Anyway... that much soft food takes a toll on a
ferret's teeth.

We took Pertwee to the vet to have his teeth cleaned and scaled. He
woke up from anesthesia just fine and I was on my way to pick him up
when the vet called. Pertwee had collapsed and his heart had stopped.
The vet had revived him but he was barely hanging on. 15 minutes
later he was dead and the vet, a man in his 60s, was in tears. With
Pertwee's long and tortured medical history he blamed himself for
putting Pertwee under and cleaning the little guy's teeth. He thought
the anesthesia might have done Pertwee in but he just didn't know why
or what to think. We agreed to a necropsy.

Unbeknown to the vet or to anyone else at the time Pertwee had liver
cancer (hepatic cell carcinoma). A tumor on his liver had ruptured
and he bled internally and died. It had nothing to do with cleaning
his teeth. He had been awake and alert for quite some time after
that. It could have happened anywhere and the vet had done nothing
wrong.

My point in all this is an unexplained death could have been caused by
something which had been completely unknown and unexpected.
Considering the horrible condition you described I wouldn't second
guess the decision to put a suffering ferret with little hope of
recovery down. Without a necropsy you will, sadly, never know the
cause.

My heart goes out to you.

All the best,
Caity and the terrific trio
Ella, Zephyr and Chin Soon
http://ferretsofdisorder.blogspot.com


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