Dear FerretGirl:
 
>The poor little guy spent the weekend in emergency with a urethral
>blockage.  I have also heard that urinary tract infections can be early
>symptoms of adrenal disease...Is this true??  He has NO other symptoms,
>0% hair loss.
 
Adrenal disease is one of the most common causes (if not the most common
cause) of urethral blockages.  With no protein plugs, crystals, or kidney
stones, I would think that even without other signs of adrenal disease
(remember ferrets rarely read textbooks) that this would be at the top of
the list.
 
This is one of the few cases in which I would recommend an ultrasound test.
In adrenal-associated dysuria, the elevated levels of estrogen in the
male ferrets body cause a change inthe lining of the prostate gland to a
different type of cells, which results in enlargement and inflammation (a
process known as squamous metaplasia)  The swelling of the prostate shuts
off the ability of the ferret to urinate voluntarily, as the urethra runs
right through the prostate gland.  Affected ferrets' bladder can easily be
expressed manually, they just can't pee by themselves.
 
Ultrasound can generally pick up the cysts in the bladder (if the operator
knows where to look), or can pick up other less common bladder abnormalities
which can impinge on urination.
 
Regarding the high bacteril count in the urine - if the urine was taken by
centesis (meaning sticking a needle into the bladder to suck some out),
bacteria would not be expected.  However, if the sample was taken off the
table or by catheter, it is likely that the bacteria are contaminants and
came either from the table or from the lower urinary tract.  Ferret
prepuces have their own bacterial flora.
 
Plus, bacteria do not have the ability to cause ineffective urination on
their own.  They should also be accompanied by a lot of white blood cells
and hemorrhage in the urine if this is a true bacterial urinary tact
infection.  Ask you vet what the urinalysis showed -
 
with kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3223]