From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-05-05 16:03:33 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Telemna today
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Lacking time and tired so I am sending a portion of the update for our vets modified for the FHL.
Yesterday she got 10 ml of blood from Orville, and began her Anastrozole (generic Arimidex) even though we don't have the TN Panel results back yet because her platelets were so low.
That drug reduces estrogen levels and is usually used as chemo drug for women with breast malignancies who have been through menopause. Because it reduces estrogen levels there are a wide range of side effects from that alone, but dying from destroyed marrow due to what appears to be inoperable right side adrenal disease would be a lot worse. (She does have two Suprelorin implants and a Ferretonin implant onboard but besides the platelet problems she has a questionable heart in imaging results -- may be starting cardiomyopathy.)
So, at only 6 years of age her age is not at all a problem for surgery (IF pre-surgical testing had not found the additional problems), but we can't have her bleeding out from marrow problems due to estrogen levels and her heart also brings up cautions. Our ferrets always have pre-op testing (blood and urine concentration), but once past 5 or 6 depending on the ferret also heart imaging pre-op. When otherwise healthy we don't personally worry about surgery terribly (always some worry) unless the operation is an extreme one, or there might be a very bad thing found, or if the ferret is over 7 or 8 years of age (depending on ferret). We've had some exceptions back when we purposely took in ferrets with serious genetic malformations, of course.
She has an anal bruise that is bothering her. At first I thought that she had a mild prolapse but it is a bruise. Bruises in general are decreasing, and i think that one is also decreasing. There is no blood in her feces so it is not blood stuck there.
She is ravenous, and has been through almost a whole can of a/d already so the size of such meals will need to be made smaller today since she eats till the plate is empty.
We are checking with the vets to see if on her drug combo we could use Carafate suspension a half hour to an hour before at least her Prednisolone. Not sure if it can be used around the chem drug and will also ask the pharmacist.
Her typical med schedule now is 2 mg Prednisolone (which she does not mind much in in the 1 mg/ml form) at 10 and 10, and 1 ml of her Anastrozole (generic) prepped in banana flavor at 6 p.m. and so far she like that enough that she licks the syringe afterward.
Today she has a little energy and walked slowly around the ferret room. She makes pain noises a bit but way, way down from last night when she had me very worried if she would make it or not. Last night the big trick to reducing that was a/d in heated water every 2 to 3 hours, though her anus still bothers her when she uses the litter pot, and she is grooming a bit much still.
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)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump off the cliff."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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