Everything is at a standstill with QT. We are only as far as knowing what
is NOT wrong & haven't a clue as to what is. To say I am discouraged &
frustrated & so scared for my baby is a understatement.
I am posting this everywhere I can in the hopes that someone may know
something that will help her, so please excuse the repetition. This is
what has gone on to date with her, each number is a day, letter is vet
response:
Original Complaint:
1. Hacking, coughing sound
Not eating by herself
Not pooping or peeing
Stomach big & hard
a. Put on lasix for cough, believe there may be a heart problem.
2. Watery blood on tummy & rear leg---formed a puddle on her tummy. Took
her to emergency hospital.
a. felt hardness believed to be bladder, to get a urine sample bladder
was expressed & "lump went away".
3. Hacking, coughing---sounding wetter
Not eating by herself
Not much poop or pee, don't think she has peed.
Stomach getting bigger
Throat, sinus noise, like a lot of flem, or very bad head cold
a. Had temp today---put on 1/4 tab of Baytril 2X day, everything sounds
normal.
4. Hacking, etc not sounding better, sounds like croup
Not eating by herself
Not much poop or pee
Stomach getting bigger
Gained one ounce----NOT from food
a. Less of fever
Took x-rays
Did blood work----indicates kidney failure......did not see sign of
heart problem on x-rays..........x-rays sent to radiologist for study.
5. Consult with Dr. X on phone.
Lasix was stopped by me Saturday night on chance it could damage her
kidneys, since x-ray did not indicate heart problem
Not eating by herself
Pooping & peeing much better
Tummy---she has gained almost 1/2 a pound since last week----NOT FROM
FOOD.
6. X-ray sent to radiologist at TVS & determined that heart is enlarged
stomach is enlarged 10 times the normal size & full of fluid
Possible tumor in or near stomach
Kidney looked ok.
a. Decided to have internist at TVS look at her
7. Exam by tech at TVS & consult with other doctor--determined not to
keep her overnight after normal glucose test
Heart, lungs, etc sound ok
8. No change overnight except tummy larger & hacking/croup worse---throat,
sinus sounds worse
a. All tests done were ultrasound, echo + abdomen, ultrasound, color
Doppler, ECG & have normal results, can find nothing wrong.
Blood work done--no results yet
9. QT sounds worse
poop, pee good
Still on Baytril 2 X day
a. Blood work---everything normal
10. QT had rapid breathing last night
This morning she sounds much worse, like she can't catch her breath
has afternoon appointment but sent her in early for observation.
11. Dr. XX did a endoscope of her throat & everything is normal. He
tried to do one of her nose but even using smallest scope he had it
wouldn't go into her nose enough. While she was there for observation he
did hear her hacking which by now is sounding like a bad croup, but did not
hear the sound from her throat/sinus that I hear mostly when she is fed.
He said the croup sound is very similar to a dog with Kennel Cough. She
also sneezes very violently, which I forgot to mention before. He said
that if there were a tumor in her nose beyond what he can see, there would
be a discharge & there isn't. She will either get better on her own or she
will get drastically worse & there still will not be anything we can do for
her. She will die.
Note on stomach still very enlarged & hard: He palpitated her abdomen &
said that what is there is FAT. Not fluid but fat. She is building up fat
at an alarming rate & he believes I am feeding her too much & too often.
She will NOT eat dry food on her own & gets duck soup. The very most she
has ever taken of that was 3 tbsp when I over slept twice & didn't feed her
every 4 hours. Otherwise she takes only about 2tbsp at a time, if that.
He told me not to feed her, to just let her be & she should start eating
the dry food on her own. She went 10 hours yesterday without food & I
couldn't stand it any longer & fed her. She took 3tbsp. I have been
feeding her since, every 4 hours. She did not touch any of the dry food
she had nearby.
Someone sent me this:
>On the off chance that this is not (but it sure does sound that way to
>me), I think that an other alternative is that maybe QT is having an
>overproduction of fat that is building up in the body. Fat feels like
>fluid... One of my ferrets, was misdiagnosed with kidney failure, and then
>it turned out upon necropsy that she was filled with fat. She could have
>been saved...
>
>If it is fat, an adrenalectomy, and I think removal of the spleen worked
>for a number of people who had what my ferret had. Let me know what the
>findings were. But it sounds to me like QT may have to go for an
>exploratory.
This is my little ray of hope right now. If anyone has heard of this &
knows what steps to take, or what causes it, what we do next, please write
me. I am so far behind on all mail that I ask you to write me direct, the
only list I will check is the FHL. My vet has given up & although I think
he is a super vet, I am not sure he will want me telling him what could be
wrong & I hate to say this. He says we have had every test she could have
& everything is suppose to be normal, but her tummy is bigger she is still
gaining weight. I don't know what to do for her croup sound or for the
sinus sound & I sure don't know what to do for the weight gain. I cannot
let her go hungry & feed her only if she starts to look gaunt. He said
that as far as an exploratory is concerned if there were anything wrong it
would have showed up on the ultrasound so no need to go in & look. I
guess I agree with that. Also I don't know what kind of food would be low
calorie, if she should have that or keep feeding her A/D? All I have been
doing is crying for her. At times she struggles to breath. Vet said could
be due to fat pushing against lungs etc. We need help.
Sincerely,
Lynn & Clan War Weasels
[Posted in FML issue 3528]
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