About 2 weeks ago I posted about how I thought a vet killed my ferret.  I
posted the blood test results and promised to post the necropsy results.
Hope you all can understand them.
 
Diagnoses:
 
1.  Normal myocardium.
2.  Mild, Chronic, mulitfocal, proliferative, interstitial pneumonia.
3.  Normal liver.
4.  Moderate, acute, diffuse, renal congestion.
5.  Splenic extramedullary hematopiesis, moderate.
6.  Normal urinary bladder.
7.  Mild, acute, suppurative pancreatitis.
8.  Normal small intestine.
9.  Normal thymus.
 
Comments:
Interstitial pneumonia can be caused by a variety of forms of pulmonary
injury.  This can be a seqeula of viral pneumonia, allergic pneumonia,
chemical lung injury (including drugs), acute pancreatitis, shock and
septicemia.  The multifocal distribution of inflammation suggests injury to
the lung by a hematogenous route.  The morphology is not consistent with an
infectious etiology.  Acute congestion of the kidney is regarded as an
agonal lesion due to decreasing cardiac output during death.  Splenic
extramedullary hematopiesis is commonly seen in the spleens of ferrets.  No
significance is placed on it.
 
My vet suggested to me that my ferret died from the Valium that was given to
her while having a seizure.  I was told that for some animals, Valium does
not work.  For ferrets, it is like giving sleeping pills to somebody who is
already sleeping.  The vet that administered the drug claimed she was very
knowledgeable in ferret care.  My poor little ferret just ran out of blood
sugar and died for no reason except for a vet that didn't know.
 
What should I do about this?  The vet killed my animal.  Should I do small
claims to recover the costs?  A higher court?  Nothing?  After all if a
doctor killed a human a lawsuit would be definate.  I would like some
thoughts on this.  Thanks.
[Posted in FML issue 2181]