From:
"pigleeownee"
Date: 2012-03-05 14:44:18 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Hind-end weakness/Increased drinking and urination
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hello all. Emmy (6 years 3 months old female) who has been treated with cytoxan (up until a month ago) for lymphoma and is on prednisolone for insulinoma. .4cc of the 5mg/ml (this suspension might be wrong I am not home to read the bottle but it is the max highest dose for a ferret to be on). She also had a suprelorin implant last fall for adrenal disease. (Already had 1 adrenal gland removed)..
Emmy has begun showing a noticable increase in hindend weakness the past week. She also has been drinking a lot more water and peeing a lot more. She is now missing the litter box even though we cut the panel to climb over so it is flat for her to walk into now...Her potie is loose stool as well.
She is not showing signs that the insulinoma is causing her to be wobbly, drooly or out of it. She will get out of bed but then her back end just plops down and lays down. Her mood has also changed. She seems depressed. She keeps wanting to be held but rests her head instead of looking around.
She has been on the pred for months now - so I would suspect I would have seen the increased drinking/urination months ago if it were from the pred? I wonder if this is the lymphoma.
My question is for the opinion of the ferret parents out there. The vet mentioned giving her another dose of cytoxan if her blood counts rose to a safe level.. I know I have to bring her to the vet this week to see what is going on at this point.. I feel bad the poor angel has been there almost every other week since October. We finally had a couple weeks without a vet trip due to not being able to continue the cytoxan. I just wonder if I am seeing the leg weakness so quickly progressing if this could be the lymphoma and I should not do the cytoxan again. I read the hind end could be last stages of lymphoma and I don't want to put her through more cytoxan or pokes if it isn't in her best interest. Any advice? Any thoughts about the peeing and drinking?
Thanks everyone,
Di
[Lymphoma is progressive as are adrenal disease and insulinoma. And she has all three! None of these illnesses are curable once established. Hind end weakness is a general symptom with almost any illness in a ferret and she has a loaded deck. Ultimately its a judgment call you make whether you want to pursue more aggressive treatment or simply keep her comfortable by managing clinical symptoms (i.e., extra feedings, sub-q hydration, pain meds, etc.) as they arise, during the time she has left. -Moderator (TD)].
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