From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-08-13 18:18:15 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Breathing problems - pneumonia or lymphoma or post-surgical complications?
To: Elizabeth Crawford <lijah_17@hotmail.com>, fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
It is probably not related to the surgery, but have the vet check
that. There is the possibility of an umbilical hernia and a couple of
stitches can take care of that, and unusual things can happen in
individuals. A chest bump or lump under the sternum also could be a
birth defect:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG356
> This does sound like a birth defect - a variant of a sternal defect
> called pectus excavatum. It is more of a blemish than a defect, and
> is not going to cause any problems during her lifetime. Occasionally
> this defect is associated with other skeletal defects, but you
> probably would have noticed them by now - twisted spine, twisted
> legs, etc.
>
> This one is nothing to be concerned about.
>
>
> With kindest regards,
>
> Bruce H. Williams, DVM
First step:
chest x-ray and very likely a chest ultrasound
Possibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Heart problems such as cardiomyopathy (the hypertrophic kind often
needs an ultrasound to diagnose) or A/V heart node block
2. pneumonia (in which case often more than one antibiotic may be
needed at the same time)
3. pleurisy (may appear along with pneumonia)
4. influenza
5. thoracic lymphoma (JL, juvenile lymphoma appears in the thorax
but more standard lymphoma can appear there.
We have encountered each of these through the years.
The heart problems that cause coughing need medications for the
primary problem as well as a diuretic such as Lasix. This is usually
the most common non-temporary cause of severe coughing by ferrets, but
when lymphoma has been found before there is a worry of a growth there.
The pneumonia with pleurisy required multiple antibiotics, I think
some other things but honestly have forgotten though it is likely we
used steam to help her, too, and lots of follow-up pretty much every
day for a while.
Influenza tends to pass on its own usually, but when it gets bad or
has complications that are bad enough it can be fatal in ferrets just
as in humans.
We have never personally had a ferret with any thoracic lymphoma who
survived past a very short time, but in something like 29 years that
amounts to only two ferrets. One had JL while the one with more
standard lymphoma in his thoracic cavity actually had the tumor
growing in real time. The increase was readily available in a series
of x-rays on his final day.
If shedding season has begun there consider the possibility of a
furball (and sometimes a non-fur "fur" ball can be encountered,
especially in ferrets who like to eat in exposed fake sheep's fleece).
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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