I apologise for not yet having the time to post the cardiomyopathy
information.  Today I will give a brief over-view since others may need it,
and I will hopefully have time in a few days to give details.  We had three
vet appointments last week, and this week (unless we have one or more
emergencies again) we have only one -- to do Meltdown's 3rd EKG since we
are now comparing the effects of dig.  against those of the propranolol,
i.e.  inderol which has been used with reasonable success for hypertropic
cardiomyopathy in other ferrets (which controlled the ventricular arrhymias--
but only when she is not feeling stressed -- at 3 daily doses of 1/8 tab,
but not at two doses).  Ruffle is having appetite and thirst loss problems,
which is sometimes seen with enacard, so she lost enough weight that we had
a lasix dehydration emergency, and she will soon be off the enacard for
three days to see if that really is doing it.  She has just had follow-up
x-rays and CBC, with very good results.  The feeling of the cardio-vets, and
human cardiologists is that her condition is not cardiomyopathy, so that is
very good news, though it is felt that it might be a condition which might
or might not set the stage for later cardiomyopathy.  We owe thanks to so
many; Katie and Rachel called us and gave a lot of information, our vets
have been looking into this, as have some of those with whom they consulted
who find the cases interesting, and I spend 5 hours on the phone one day
tracking down any information lead I could find.  I don't even know even a
1/3 of the names of people who have helped us and consoled us, but folks who
are here or who you will know of readily include: Hanan Caine, Kelly Vex,
and everyone else at Basking Ridge Animal Hospital, Karen Rosenthal of the
AMC, Debbie Kemmerer (Rachel, I owe her a special thank you note; could you
drop us her address some time.), Katie Fritz (whose Bandit recently passed
away at almost 8, 5 years after he came down with lympho; they were not
given much hope after the biopsies but Bandit went on to become the first
ferret cured of lympho), Rachel (You folks remember Hobbs.), and Mary Reilly
and Tom Hubbard of Totally Ferret who taught me that no ferret or cat food
which are nutritious enough have low enough salt contents so in the day time
the ferrets have food we make ourselves of meats, meat fat (not a problem it
turns out), and whole hard boiled eggs in a puree, and their potassium
levels are watched with potassium cloride salt ( as opposed to sodium
cloride), banana, and Nutristat.
 
PBS ALERT: VELVET CLAW, a paleontological history of Carnivora.  On NJN (New
Jersey Network: 50, 58, and some others) the Mustelidea will be discussed
on: Sunday, 4/21 (next Sunday) at 7 p.m.  and (if this episode is repeated--
one was not) on Friday, 2/26 at 8 p.m.  The polecats in the preview were
great.
 
There are questions I'd like to address, but I don't have the time.  If a
get a few free moments after doing a real heart write-up I will reply.
 
Michael Dutton:  Please, give info on the simple syrup approach you use for
delivering some meds (Joan told me today of your successes with lysodren).
Meltie hates some of her meds, and if that turns out to be a feasible,
non-degenerative (for the meds) method it may be a way to reduce her stress
levels, as is her pill gun.
 
  Sukie and E. Steve Crandall  (with no time to check this before sending)
[Posted in FML issue 1539]