>I have a ferret that has a very large splean.  The only blood level
>that was different was his red blood count it was 26.  Radioligist says
>everything is okay but wants to remove splean.  Possible adrainal?  Help?
 
Dear X:
 
Enlarged spleens are commonly seen in middle aged to older ferrets, and
often as a result of chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Adrenal disease is usually not associated with this finding, but both are
common and may be seen simultaneously.
 
However, the packed cell volume of 26 is quite low, and before I would
subject this little guy to surgery, I would want to look at the whole CBC
and chemistry to see if there are any additional clues as to why she is
so anemic, and probably would also want to recheck the value in about 48
hours to see if it is actively decreasing.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3738]