To Greg Hastings -
 
    I am grieved to hear of Winkie's passing.  I think one of the things that
we discussed a few days ago was the possibility of the spots being small skin
hemorrhages due to a platelet defect (also known as petechiae).  With the
news of Winkie's death, I can only assume that that was what they were.  We
are not quite sure what causes platelet loss in ferrets, but the syndromes
that we see them in are suggestive of an autoimmune disease where the body
turns against it's own components.  We don't know the trigger, and it's tough
to diagnose the condition, even when it is happening right in front of you.
My experience with this type of condition is that it doesn't respond well to
treatment, either.
 
    Once again, I am greatly saddened by Winkie's passing and wish that we
could have done more and moved faster.
 
    Moral of this story - if your ferret has red spots all over the body -
let's head right to the vet.  Even if he/she is eating well, etc., it's
certainly better to be safe than sorry.
 
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]               Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]             Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
(202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1182]