Dear Brandy
 
>With the blood work back we found that Zepp's liver is shutting down.  The
>vet said there was nothing I could do to help him but keep him comfortable
>for what life he has left.  He also said the only way to found out why he
>has liver failure is to do a biopsy.
 
While I wouldn't want to second guess your vet, I see a lot of confusion
about bloodwork, and many ferrets are diagnosed with liver problems that
really don't exist.  With prolonged anorexia, two liver enzymes of the
ferret tend to increase (SGPT and alkaline phosphatase) as a result of the
liver being flooded with fat, which the ferret can use for energy.  I thend
to rely more on another enzyme, bilirubin, for a more definitive look at
liver function.  Ferrets in liver failure tend to have markedly elevated
bilirubin levels.  There are more specific tests that can measure liver
function, but I generally wait until I have definitive elevations in
bilirubin before scheduling them.  I would be interested in finding out
the specific levels on the bloodwork in this case, especially as Zepp has
lasted this long, longer than we would expect for a ferret in liver
faillure.
 
Your vet is correct - a biopsy is the best way to diagnose liver failure.
 
>I didn't want to put Zepp through any unnecessary surgery, because my last
>ferret, had cancer, started hemorrhaging during his exploratory surgery.
>He never made it home.  That was Aug.  18th.  It's been a bumpy road with
>Zepp since.
 
I hear this a lot.  However, remember that we are dealing with different
ferrets, different diseases, and a liver biopsy in a ferret with a failing
liver probably wouldn't be considered "unnecessary".....never judge a
surgery on past history with a different individual.
 
>Zepp did start eating, but not his regular IAMs kitten.  He only will take
>cooked chicken, and is prescription diet L/D.  This has been for about 3
>weeks now.  I also give him albon twice a day.  His energy level is back
>up, and he has a little more meat on his bones.  Now, his hair is falling
>out and the only thing I can think of is Adrenal tumors.
 
Certainly sounds like adrenal disease.  But I'm not sure why the Albon -
Albon is generally used against coccidia, and is a fairly rare choice for
an antibacterial....
 
>I took him back to the vet on Wed.  We did a skin scrape, took some hair,
>and more blood.  I am still waiting for the blood work.  The vet and I are
>hoping his liver is working better.  Has anyone had this problem?  What is
>my next step?  Please, I need you guys more than ever now.  Thank all of
>you so much!
 
Next step - I'd like to see the bloodwork to find out if we are truly
dealing with liver failure - true liver failure is very uncommon in
ferrets.  Any future steps have to be based on the new bloodwork.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3235]