In response to your statements and questions: (sukies remarks are in "")
 
>From:    Sukie Crandall <[log in to unmask]>
 
"I think that it is important here to remember that dilated hearts are
from cardiomyopathy"
 
Our vet didn't think that cardiomyopathy was the main cause of death.
Because of the way everything looked... he didn't want to rule that as
the main cause... he felt that there was something else to blame but
couldn't find it at the time of the necropsy
 
"it is way too early to draw conclusions based on temporal factors."
 
I'm not drawing conclusions .... I am merely trying to find out all the
information that I can.  Her death seems as though a result/complication
to the implant.  It is enough to give our vet pause as well as Melatek to
investigate it.
 
"Plus, in the same time frame you lost one from rampant pneumonia, and
that while rampant pneumonia would show up in a plain old necropsy, a
lesser infection that could be too much combined with heart disease would
not."
 
Rampant pneumonia?  Never thought I used that word.  I do know that the
other baby that we lost... Sandy, had a heart condition.  She was NEVER
sick with the flu/cold... no coughing or anything.  I just don't think I
would call it Rampant.
 
"There IS a known case of a very small sized female who appeared to
possibly have trouble with the melatonin implant dose, but that is not
firmly known as the cause"
 
I understand this... but I also see that you seem to be against finding
the answer.  I have stated before that the company itself is interested
to find out the cause..  while you just seem to be trying to point the
finger elsewhere..  and I don't know why.  Could this be something that
happens in 1 in 1000 ?  Possibly but if it was your baby as the one...
would you just drop it cause it's never happened before?
 
"What has happened on the pathology front?"
 
As I have stated, our vet and Melatek are working on that issue.
 
"How large was this ferret?"
 
She was 1.04 pounds (which I think I said before)
 
"It is possible that the stress of the large bore may have been factor
given the signs of preexisting heart disease discussed on the FHL,
especially is combined with the limitations of a lung infection that
simply wasn't overt enough to be spotted on a simple necropsy, though
the latter two together could have been enough, or *maybe* a ferret who
is already dealing with either or both of those problems is not a good
candidate for something that can further deepen sleep.  (Note that is a
*maybe*.)"
 
She dealt with the procedure fine.  No real stress noted by the vet or
us.  There was bleeding... but that stopped.  She wasn't sedated at all
for it either.  If her having health problems doesn't make her a canidate
for surgery OR the implant than what would be the use of being able to do
implants... that would be like saying only a healthy ferret can have the
implant.
 
"The enlarged heart alone says that this was already a compromised ferret
with cardiomyopathy."
 
She didn't have an enlarged heart.
 
"WAS THIS FERRET ALSO GIVEN LUPRON?"
 
No she had NEVER been on lupron
 
"enlargement of the heart happens slowly over time in response to heart
disease, and is not a suddenly acquired condition."
 
And from what our vet said, it didn't appear that she had that much of a
heart condition for this to happen to her so quickly.  That there had to
have been something else happen to her that would cause the heart to pump
into her lungs.
 
Eve was fine and running around before the implant... after the implant
she just went downhill and NEVER recovered.
 
As I have said before, the company that makes the implants is researching
this with our vet.  Which tells me that at least THEY care.  Just because
this hasn't happened or been reported before doesn't mean it can't
happen.
 
Joanne
Ferret Corner Shelter
[Posted in FML issue 5034]