From:
"Bonnie"
Date: 2012-03-17 22:11:28 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Albino ferret w/chronic anemia
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Apologies in advance for the length.
I have a 3 year old MF albino gib that has been chronically anemic for about 3 months now. He initially presented with lethargy, though alert and E/D fine. The bird seedy diarrhea started about a month later and he was treated with sucralfate with little improvement.
"Cappucino" underwent exploratory last month to look at his enlarged spleen (we do not have access to ultra sound up here on the mountain). Cappy was anesthetized with iso and given fluids with dextrose. The exploratory did not reveal anything very remarkable...his spleen was enlarged and somewhat firmer in the center, his left adrenal gland was a bit enlarged (I had the vet remove it) and he did have a tan colored cystic looking nodule near his liver that turned out to be an enlarged lymph node with no infectious agents or overt pleomorphic neoplastic cells noted on cytology. His pancreas, kidneys, stomach and intestines appeared normal with no evidence of hemorrhage anywhere. A fecal occult blood was also done, and it was negative.
Cappy has been on clavamox and metronidazole for almost 4 weeks now, with little improvement with the diarrhea...still yellowish but not as "seedy" looking.
The following are the results of his last in-house bloodwork done 2/27/12:
WBC.....4.00
LYM.....2.01
MON.....0.54
NEU.....1.46
LY%.....50.2%
MO%.....13.4+ %
NE%.....36.4%
RBC.....4.19
HGB.....7.3
HCT.....24.25
MCV.....58
MCH.....17.5
MCHC....30.3
PLT.....55
ALB.....2.3
ALP.....145
ALT.....170
AMY.....12
TBIL....0.5
BUN.....39
CA......8.0
PHOS....10.6
CRE.....0.2
GLU.....354 (he was receiving fluids/dextrose)
NA+.....149
K+......6.4
TP......4.4
GLOB....2.1
On 3/15/12 I ran a microhematocrit on him, which was down to 22. Our shelter vet gave him a shot of dexamethasone and his HCT will be checked again on Monday. He seemed more alert for several hours after the dex injection, but he is back to being extremely exhausted again...so much so that he falls asleep in his food dish.
Any help with a treatment plan for this sweet little guy would be greatly appreciated.
Bonnie Tormohlen
Managing Director
Northern Arizona Ferret Alliance & Rescue
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