Sorry about the delay, I went over the limit and the mail returned to me.
 
!! Due to a couple of telephone calls (both owners and veterinarians) about
concerns of dispensing medical advice via FML, I guess I better start with a
disclaimer!!
 
THE ADVICE DISPENSED BY MYSELF IN REFERENCE TO FML POSTINGS IS NOT MEANT TO
SUPPLANT THE ADVICE OF VETERINARIANS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE PATIENT.  IF
THE PATIENT IS NOT CURRENTLY UNDER THE CARE OF A VETERINARIAN, THE CLIENT IS
RECOMMENDED TO TAKE THEIR FERRET TO ONE.
 
>From:    Pyrophage <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: heavy heart-beating, panting?
>This week, at intervals, we've noticed that one of our ferrets has looked
>out of breath even when not exerting.  He's been pretty lethargic (though
>he's never too active) and is definitely on the chubby side....
 
Best to take this one to the vet to check on heart disease with an exam and
perhaps a x-ray.
 
>From:    Gary Kaskel <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: gaining weight
>Minnie, my six-year, has recently been gaining a lot of weight in her lower
>torso.  She also suddenly has an ugly black growth on her rear foot which
>is still growing from her toe....
 
Any black ugly mass should be removed and biopsied.  I am sure Dr.  Williams
will agree on this statement that one cannot 100% diagnose tumors by sight.
The sugar in the urine makes me think of diabetes mellitus although end
stage kidney disease can cause sugar in the urine.  I would recommend a CBC
and biochemical profile also to firm up the diagnosis.
 
>From:    jenny koger <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Fat-ass Ferret
 
Still could be a calorie induced weight gain.  There are not any specific
diseases in a young ferret (other than calories) that routinely cause
massive weight gain.
 
>From:    Bill Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Vet seeking advice
>...The first ferret, a 3 yo male neutered ferret was presented with an
>owner complaint of being bloated, thought she felt a mass
 
If the abdominal fluid was ascites in nature, think heart disease.  Review
the x-ray if the heart is visible.  Consider an cardiac ultrasound.
 
>The second ferret is an unknown age neutered male that presented with very
>similar signs of anorexia, wt.  loss, depression/lethargy and a bloated
>appearance.  Glucose was low at 53 mg/dL, but went back up to 122 the next
 
This one is tough to diagnose via FML. The urine specific gravity makes me
think of kidney disease. Was another specific gravity run on the urine the
following day? I would wait and interpet the CBC, profile first.
 
>From:    Kevin Ryan <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Vet Bills!
>Brought Rufus and Lucy to the vet today for annual rabies and distemper
 
This may not be viewed as an unbiased opinion, but $72 for 2 ferrets annual
visit breaks down to $3 per month per ferret for medical services. A pretty
good deal.
 
From the small business owner side, veterinary medicine is both labor
intensive and equipment intensive.  Veterinary medicine is not subsidized by
local, state or federal government agencies so the money to keep a practice
running is from things like your appointment.  Costs include equipment (a
good post-operation incubator runs about $1000 for example), labor (staff
and veterinarians), taxes, mortgages, continuing education, etc.  The last
cost is knowledge and expertise.  Veterinarians on average spend at least 8
years in college to learn their profession and are uniquely qualified to
diagnose and treat animals.
 
>From:    Onyx and Shamrock <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: frightening stools...
>One of my little guys is having really strange poop tonight...
 
Yes, antibiotics can cause diarrhea. You have two options, one discontinue
the antibiotics or start the pets on an anti-diarrheal such as peptobismol
(given at a slightly different time from the antibiotic). You and your vet
need to make the decision based on the respiratory infection which is best.
 
>From:    Linda Doran <[log in to unmask]>
>1. A friend has a ferret who first became really crazy for about 15
>minutes, running and jumping and attacking, and then went completely limp
 
Could be a seizure.  As stated next, the most common cause is hypogylcemia
and the ferret should have responded to karo.  But there are other causes.
I recommend a vet visit if it happens again to get a blood sugar and
physical exam.
 
>From:    Robert Butler <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Seizures
>While I'm not a vet, biolgically, anything with a brain is capable of
>suffering a seizure...
 
Most CNS disease is ferrets are probably hypogylcemic in nature.  There is a
CNS component to some distemper infections.  There have also been cases of
encephalitis and parasitic larval migrans.  Hypoxia secondary to heart
disease or respiratory disease are also possible.  I do not not have
information on specific CNS tumors but I am sure Dr.  Williams can give more
information on that aspect.
 
>From:    Jennifer Morlanne <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Addisonian Crisis
>You spoke a few days ago about Addisonian (hypoadrenocortical) crisis.
>Could you provide more information on this, for example, what is it...
 
Addison s disease is the opposite of Cushing s disease (or as Dr.  Williams
more appropriate calls it adrenal disease .  For clarity I will use the term
hyper to mean a higher than normal amount of steroids such as in ferret
adrenal disease and hypo to mean less).  Addison s is hypo adrenal disease.
That is, a lack of appropriate amounts of both mineralocorticoids (steroids
that control electrolytes excretion) of corticosteroids (the steroids that
everyone thinks off when one says steroids).  Addison s can be due to
medications such as the Lysodren used to medically treat hyper adrenal
disease seen in ferrets or if you surgically removed both adrenal glands.
There are also diseases of the adrenal gland that can cause the wasting away
of steroid production (very uncommon in ferrets).
 
Symptoms are usually secondary to screwed up electrolytes. They include
lethargy, vomiting, poor hair coat, chronic weight loss.
 
Diagnosis (in dogs and cats) is an ACTH stimualtion test. I am not sure if
there is a valid ferret equivalent.
 
Treatment is the administration of the appropriate mineralo- and cortico-
steroid. Some come as tablets, some as injectables.
 
Addison s (chronically) is fatal, but you usually have plenty of symptoms
first.
 
>From:    Bill Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Help! Ferret Sick!
>My ferret, Scooter, has developed a problem walking.  He walks like he's
>drunk.  My vet isn't sure what is wrong.  Scooter does have an enlarged
>spleen, the protein in his urine was up to +5 on Friday (1/12), but down to
>+1 on Tuesday (1/16).  His glucose is normal...
 
I would not totally exclude insulinoma from the list. There is a history of
one low blood sugar. Since ferrets can see a dramatic increase in their
resting blood sugar under stress, the next one being normal may be a sign of
stress versus normal.
 
>From:    Melissa Litwicki <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Potpie vaccine reaction / Earmites
>about 15 minutes after the Fervac-D/Imrab shots, she started vomiting.
>After about 15 minutes, she stopped and immediately fell solidly asleep.
 
There is a good chance of a reaction next year that might be worse.  I
recommend a dose of 0.1 to 0.5 ml of pediatric benadryl 45 minutes before
the next vaccine.
 
>From:    John Rosloot <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Cassie; is she sick?
 
An urinary tract infection is still possible.  The other option is
vaginitis.  If Cassie is not spayed, hormonal cycles might play a role
also.  Most vaginitis cases clear up on antibiotics.
 
Mike Dutton, DVM, DABVP
Weare Animal Hospital
Weare, NH
[Posted in FML issue 1453]