From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2011-03-16 10:11:21 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret with slow heart
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi,
I've only had one ferret with bradycardia and it was in context of a High Grade 2nd Degree Heart Block. She was on extensive medication that had to be changed regularly. Sadly, in the end all the meds did not stabilize her heart rate. She died while waiting for a pacemaker.
Excellent that you are able to take her to see a cardiologist. I suspect he'll do a number of tests including an echo-cardiogram to determine what is causing the bradycardia.
If it is an AV Block, medications will help for a short while but in all likelihood a pacemaker will be the only option to keep her stable - in other words... alive. The question then becomes whether you want a seven year old to receive a pacemaker? My ferret was 6 when she died.
They use refurbished pediatric human ones. And even these are quite expensive, although there is a company that does offer free ones occasionally. The challenge is getting the right kind for the particular ferret and of course the risk of waiting for one and the ferret dying in the interim (my case).
If you email me privately I can send you an excellent paper by Dr. Wagner on Ferret Cardiology.
Here's a few links to some of my older posts about my ferret:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/13317
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/13391
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/11530
Good luck with the cardiologist.
Tressie
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