In Ferret-Health-list..., X wrote:
>This was when I noticed there was blood on my t-shirt and shorts...
>
>When we returned from the vets today, we discovered bloody stools in the
>cave she was sleeping in.  There was also vomit (I assume the duck soup
>I'd fed her the night before) on top of that.
 
Dear X:
 
I am sorry for your loss.  Having read this post and the following on on
the results of Nala's autopsy, The most likely diagnosis at this point is
a bleeding gastric ulcer which eroded a large vessel in the stomach.  The
picture is not that which we would associate with lead- based paint -
plumbism is a prolonged disease which is manifested by severe anemia, but
not hemorrhage.  Also in lead poisoning, radiography of the stomach may
show radiodense chips, or dark lines in the extremities, due to the action
of lead in bones.
 
But I doubt that lead is the problem, and your story unfortunately, is not
an uncommon one.  The combination of black blood in the stomach, vomiting,
and red vomit and stools in an animal that was fine the previous day is
strongly suggestive of a subacute to chronic ulcer which unfortunately
eroded into a blood vessel.  The vessels are quite superficial at the end
of the stomach where it empties into the small intestine, and this is also
the area where most ulcers occur.  It is likely that the ulcers may have
been there a while, but just silent, and it would be interesting to compare
Nala's weight at necropsy with her most recent weight to see if she had
been off her food as of late.
 
Many ulcers are very small and only the most careful examination will
disclose them.  I am interested in hearing any toxicologic results, but
in this case, I fear that they will be negative.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3473]