Necropsy with pathology/histology work is essential. Toxicology
may be needed, too. So far there seems to be one necropsy and no
pathology work done (unless results are being awaited). If you need
ferret-knowledgeable pathologist seen below in this post for two
places with such experts!

Ten months after the fact for one ferret leaves a LOT of room for a
different cause. That does not mean that I am not keeping an open mind
because I am, but it does mean that alternative causes can not be
immediately discounted.

Notice the links I put in the FHL earlier from a ferret expert
pathologist and notice that even just waiting a touch too long can
result in pooled blood, and can result in changes to the liver
(digestion of the liver and decomposition). See the links in
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/17152

Besides having Peptech and Virbac check the samples they have kept back
from those specific batches, it is important to consider alternative
causes, and it is essential that at least pathology be done and
possibly also toxicology. Both of those types of follow-through will
help -- whether the cause is OR is not due to the implant from those
two batches. (Or even if there are different causes -- plural -- in
different animals at different locations; see notes below about some
things that can cause hemorrhage and that ferrets in the past have also
died of hemorrhage including before there even was deslorlin or even
its sister med, Lupron available. Many ferrets have had Suprelorin so
it is not unusual to have its presence overlap with a great many things
that might or might not be related to it being there.)

For those whose vets do not know ferret knowledgeable veterinary
pathologists I suggest these:

The Ferret Health group at Michigan State:
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/

Northwest Zoopath:
http://www.zoopath.com/

It is also important to remember that in those ferrets for whom adrenal
disease exists the disease itself can cause estrogen induced bone
marrow toxicity which will produce bleeding and the tumors can grow
into the livers. Ardith's one who passed did not have adrenal disease
obvious on necropsy, but unless I am wrong (easily enough done)
pathology either was not done or else the results are being awaited.
As Dr. Williams once pointed out maybe about 10% of causes of death
can be found with just necropsy; most data comes from pathology by
expert pathologists.

Furthermore, it is important to remember for those areas with record or
near record pollen levels that there is a past history of auto-immune
hemolytic anemia in response to the challenge of allergic reactions,
and that there is a long history of ferrets also having AIHA from
unknown causes. See the archives of the FHL and FML for some info on
that.

In addition, there are hemolytic illnesses, hemolytic forms of
poisoning (including from things containing aspirin in some ferrets),
herbs that can cause bleeding, etc. This may apply to some of the
ferrets.

Through the decades I have seen some warnings pan out, like when Dr.
Ruth Heller first pointed out after our Chiclet's symptoms, that the
first 4 or so ferrets with DIM symptoms might be showing a new syndrome
because she had seen three with the same incredibly strange test
results. Even then a LOT of people jumped on the bandwagon even when
their ferrets did not have anything like DIM, and some jumped on whose
ferrets had other illnesses with similar symptoms. The ones whose
ferrets had similar symptoms were logical in replying, but a number of
the others needed to re-read the symptoms and not panic too easily,
though saying that does not stop that behavior for many. Saying that
comforts some who are ready to think logically, but it irritates a few.

Even more often in my decades on ferret internet lists (beginning with
the lists that evolved into the Ferret Mailing List 25 years ago this
coming December) I have seen panics run wild with what people thought
was a cause of a problem NOT being the cause, so always know that a
suspected cause is just that: a suspect ONLY until more in known and
that suspected causes are not always the actual causes.

So, at this point EVERYONE has to keep an open mind!

Different topic:
Oh, just a note since we *might* be discussing something new above.
This is about what is likely *something else* relatively new although
new to most people with ferrets: there have now been a few places with
more than one ferret having the systemic version of ECE (Systemic
Ferret Coronavirus, sometimes called FIP-like ECE which is a mutant
of ECE). To learn about that go to the Michigan State link I included
and use the resources there. I just figured it might be important to
someone at some time to know that there are locations now with more
than one ferret with Systemic Ferret Coronavirus.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 7413]