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> After reading Dr. Williams articles on splenomegaly
> http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/spleen.html and Helicobacter
> http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/ulcers.html , which I have printed
>for discussion with my vet, it would seem that my ferret may be suffering
>from repeated Helicobacter infections causing the inflammatory response
>of her GI system and spleen.  I am drawing the conclusion that we should
>treat her with the appropriate combination of medications for a
>Helicobacter infection.
 
Dear B: While Helicobacter is a leading cause of splenomegaly, it is not
the only cause, and there is no guarantee that treatment for Helicobacter
will have any long-lasting effect on the size of the spleen.
Additionally, you may treat for Helicobacter, see some shrinkage of the
spleen, but when numbers increase following cessation of treatment, the
spleen will quickly return to its previous size.
 
Treatment for Helicobacter should be reserved for animals with clinical
signs of Helicobacter only - the combination of long-term Flagyl,
Pepto-Bismol, and Amoxicillin is not without the possible side effect
of causing ulcers, I generally don't recommend this approach to the
treatment of splenomegaly.
 
with kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
 
[Quick Sukie note: an alternative approach to Helicobacter is Biaxin and
Amoxi which is less stressful for many ferrets.]
[Posted in FML issue 3944]