From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-12-05 18:22:35 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Basil - suddenly going downhill
To: JJ <myferrets18@yahoo.com>, fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Another possibility that just hit me is that she could have a saddle
thrombosis secondary to kidney disease. There are several things
which can cause ferrets to throw clots. Usually heart disease is the
cause but among the other options is kidney disease. In fact, we had
one long ago throw a clot to his brain and go comatose due to kidney
disease. (With round the clock hospital care he got past it, too,
with just a little permanent damage to one foot and luckily he never
did it again. That was Spot.)
A saddle thrombosis sits at a major vascular junction and blocks the
blood flow for both legs. Are the legs cold to the touch?
Lymphoma can be hidden and progress fast suddenly especially if it
gets into a very vulnerable place like the spinal cord, but ferrets do
get hind leg weakness from a very wide range of things, so can she
move her hind legs at all and does she have sensation in her legs and
feet?
You said privately that she is concentrating urine so that is good
since a kidney infection is among the things under consideration.
An ultrasound might spot something that other tests may not, but both
infection and lymphoma can blow up nodes which means that discovery
would not get you further, though I honestly don't know if it might
have a chance of giving other useful information, though it might show
things like whether the the kidneys are enlarged or have become
malformed.
I am so sorry that this is worsening; I know that you have been up at
all hours with her the last few days, catching sleep when you can.
Does your regular vet know ferrets well and if not will your vet
consult with others who do?
Hopefully, someone will have more info for you than I do, but do see
if she moves her rear feet or legs at all, and if she acts like she
has sensation in a pinch test, and if her legs are cold.
Right now there are multiple things that could be going on. Just as
kidney disease has ways it could cause the symptoms, so does lymphoma
in the spinal cord because she could have been unable to fully
evacuate her urinary bladder which can result in retained urine and
infection. There are less likely possibilities than those two, as
well, such as some bone tumors which may affect neural messages, or
sepsis (in which case the fever can get higher).
Again, I am so sorry that she is so ill.
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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