Dooks & Condolences to all who've lost their babies recently.  I'm posting
this to a lot of people, on and off the FML who've been helping me with
my Socks boy, so if some of this doesn't relate to all of us, well, bear
with me.
 
Socks is my 5 1/2 year old silver mitt.  Last month had muffled heart
sounds, vet wanted to run the x-rays.  His x-ray came back and showed he
had only 10% lung capacity.  The x-rays were frightening-his lungs were
almost totally opaque.  He was anemic, glucose really 'iffy'.  He's been
in for several blood tests, and last week the anemia was worse.  He's been
on Clavamox since 10/20.  A transtracheal wash was done over a week ago
and the temporary results (without the cultures being run) were he had 3
different bacteria in his lungs, but there was the possibility of
contamination on this through the oral cavity.  The vets at Purdue have
all been stunned.  Dr. Thompson said by all rights Socks should have been
collapsed on the floor,not walking around like Diamond Jim Brady.  There
have been at least three vets on his case, and none, in all their years of
practice say they've seen a ferret like this guy.  Yesterday the culture
results came in-negative.  He did have a large number of neutraphils in his
blood, indicative of a bacterial infection.  There were also rod shaped
bacteria, islands in his blood.  So Dr. Thompson pushed him in today for
ultrasound and x-ray, plus more blood work.  Also fo today, according to
the Clin Path report, he has adequate platelets, enlarged platelets,
Poikilocytosis 1+, Anisocytosis 1+, Reactive lymphs noted, platelets too
clumped to count.
 
The results are: Socks' right adrenal is enlarged, pushing into the vena
cava.  The veterinarian performing the ultrasound tried many ways to find
the blood flow around this tumor, but it didn't show.  His prostate gland
is enlarged, and there is the possibility of pancreatic tumor-his glucose
is borderline insulinoma.  The GOOD news is he now has 50% of his lungs
back-the Clavamox has been taking care of whatever was wrong in his lungs.
So we're keeping him on Clavamox, this week starting Lupron treatment,
watching his glucose levels.  Dr. Thompson does not feel he's a good
surgery candidate due to the lung problem.  He's hoping that another round
of Clavamox will clear the poor old guy's lungs up totally.  Then we're
starting him on Prednisone.  I really hate to say it, but because of a
massive migraine today I failed to ask how his anemia was.  I can't even
remember if he said there was a pancreatic tumor, but will talk to him this
week again.  I know that if the pancreatic tumor shows up and we go to
Pred, the Clavamox will no longer work, and we're all pulling for the
Clavamox to clear his lungs up totally.
 
I want to thank all who've kept Socks in their thoughts and prayers.  Dr.
Thompson told me today we might possibly, by just going the med route and
no surgery have 6-8 months with my buddy.  And this will be 6-8 months that
we have.  Socks is my first ferret, my grand old man.  He and I have gone
through ECE together, and we'll go through this.  When he tells me it's
time for him to go to the Bridge, then I'll have to deal with this, too.
I plan on contacting Gary Holowicki to see if Timmy's Tonic helps in a
case like this, or if he has any ideas on it.  Again, thank you all.
 
And to Bill-thank you for being who you are, doing what you do with this
list.  As Bob C requested us all to do, think of something this list has
done for the ferrets.  I know for a fact without this list I would be as
ignorant as all get out.  The FML is what helped educate me before Socks
came to us, and without the knowledge passed around on this list, and on
others, I would have been at a loss.
 
Rebecca & the Crew of Merry Mayhem
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and
 taste good with ketchup"
[Posted in FML issue 3223]