Hello fellow FMLers!  I need some input on a very abnormal health problem.
Anything you can share with me will be greatly appreciated.  For those of
you who don't know me (I normally post individual responses), I am owned by
Farrah, a 4 1/2 year old, MF, Sable, spayed female and Rocky, a 4 1/2 year
old, shaded silver mitt, neutered male who I bought at a ferret show from a
Florida breeder.
 
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a plea for normal ferret adrenal lab values.
For those of you who replied to my post, I thank you very much and I will
get back to you each individually.  My life has been out-of-control lately
as my cat, Skeeter, of almost 18 years went to the Rainbow Bridge recently
to wait for me and Farrah went in for adrenal surgery.  These are above and
beyond the not-so-normal everyday problems that have also presented
themselves lately.
 
Farrah had the adrenal blood lab work done at the Univ.  of Tennessee.  Her
estrogen is three times the norm.  She has *no* other symptoms except the
hair loss.  She went in for surgery this Monday and the first thing the Dr.
did was check for an ovarian remnant.  He didn't find an ovarian remnant or
any tumors in her pancreas.  All he found, by way of palpation was a growth
approx.  one centimeter in size on her left adrenal gland.
 
Here is where the problem lies -- everything he *touched* hemorrhaged even
though she had an adequate platelet count (all her blood work was good,
except for her platelets were a *little* low, but not nearly low enough to
cause all the hemorrhaging).  Her spleen was like tissue paper.  By the time
he got all the bleeding under control, he had to close her up because he was
going to lose her due to all the blood loss.
 
Since then he has consulted with one of the leading ferret veterinarians in
our area (Maryland/Virginia).  This doctor has done *many* ferret surgeries
and has *never* come across this.  Are there any studies that have been done
on ferrets to establish bleed times?  Has anyone had any similar
experiences?  He will have to do surgery again eventually and I am very
worried.  Does anyone have any experience with ferret transfusions?  I know
one doctor who does them, but my vet doesn't really consider transfusions an
option.  Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
Any help that anyone can give me would be very much appreciated as Farrah's
life is so precious to me, I can't stand to lose her so soon to adrenal
surgery.  I am sorry if I took up too much space, but I sure could use your
thoughts, knowledge, and experiences.
 
Also, is anyone going to be attending the ferret show in Annapolis, Maryland
next month?  I'd love to put some faces to the posts!  Please let me know!
 
Again, *many* thanks - Mary, Farrah & Rocky 8:> + 8:> = 2 *very* special
 fuzzies!
[Posted in FML issue 1664]