From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2010-05-13 14:25:32 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: URGENT: Extreme pain after 5 days post-op
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Julie,
I have had 3 ferrets who developed hugely distended stomachs due to food not being processed. On necropsy all three had infiltration to the pylorus, which impeded motility and exiting of stomach contents. All three had insulinoma as well. Post-mortem diagnoses were lymphoma, lymphoblastic sarcoma and adrenal carcinoma.
I am currently fostering a senior male insulinomic ferret (6-7 years-old) who is displaying similar symptoms to these previous three, i.e., ravenous appetite and bloated abdomen. He had radiographs done yesterday and the results were the same, hugely distended stomach packed with food hours after he had eaten. He is currently on Metoclopramide.
I have researched this extensively and some of the findings propose a number of things that could be the cause of food remaining in the stomach, among them neoplasia, Pyloric adenocarcinoma, Helicobacter, and obstruction.
So while obstruction is a possibility, I would trust your vet's experienced instinct that there wasn't one there. However, if she has had chronic Helicobacter there are findings that state it can cause severe inflammation in the pylorus and it is suspected to be a cause of Pyloric adenocarcinoma.
With the three ferrets who subsequently died, the pylorus was inflamed but it was due to other cancers. The ferret with lymphoblastic sarcoma was in severe pain and managing it was challenging. She underwent exploratory surgery and was found to have metastasis to the bowel as well and was subsequently euthanized.
I have had a ferret (7 years old) on buprenorphine and Tramadol at the same time, however, he did better when the buprenorphine was removed because it was causing him difficulty passing stool.
Tressie
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