Lynn:
>QUICK QUESTION on Tarzan.  He was in season a couple months pre-neutering,
>and I'm wondering how long it will take him to act like our other neutered
>boys.  When will that testosterone back off a little?!
 
Takes about a month for the testosterone levels to ease off.
 
>The doctor said...  that the ECG could show if she had an electrical
>pattern (can't recall the exact wording) that could cause her to quickly
>die under isoflourane (only) anesthesia.
 
CardioPet is an ECG (electorcardiograph) examination that not only looks at
the electrical activity of the heart, but also sends it by modem out to an
expert (CardioPet is owned and run by Dr. Lawrence Tilley, who wrote the
book on small animal cardiology.  I can't think of a better qualified
individual to look at an ECG.
 
>MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, I need to decide whether I need to get Minnie an
>ultrasound at this point, or else monitor the heart murmur every six months.
>Three doctors, and the ECG, have rated her murmer a three on a scale of
>six.  She is asymtomatic and never has had symptoms of heart disease to my
>knowledge.
 
I think at this point, we can probably wait on the ultrasound.  Many ferrets
have murmurs, but not all murmurs are associated with disease (the so-called
"physiologic murmurs".  She's had her surgery, she seems bright and active.
While an ultrasound certainly can yield some information, I wouldn't say it
is imperative at this point.
 
>The doctor says the ultrasound could reveal one condition that would be
>cureable with an operation, thus saving her from progressive heart
>disease. This condition he called Peyton Ductus Arteriolosis (PDA)...
 
Patent ductus arteriosus is an uncommon condition arising from a shunt
between the artery taking blood to the lungs (pulmonary artery) and away
from the heart (the aorta).  This shunt is open during gestation, but closes
after birth.  Chances are that Minnie would be in bad shape if a PDA had
been present during birth.  I think the chances of her having a PDA are
remote at best.
 
>He also mentioned two other conditions she could have, a valve defect; or
>a defect between the wall of the chambers, which he called a ventricular
>septal defect, resulting from a fetal shunt that didn't mature (or
>something) properly.  These, he said, are treatable by medication.
 
A valve defect is the most likely cause of her problem, as most murmurs are
due to defective valves.  However, many defects are not life-threatening, as
we discussed earlier.  As is the case with a PDA, a ventricular septal
defect would probably have meant her demise long before now.
 
>What I want to determine is if PDA surgery a viable option?  ...  WHAT ARE
>THE CHANCES that she will develop symptomatic >heart disease?  (I don't
>know if it's congenital).
 
I would proceed when early signs of heart disease - lethargy, lack of
appetite are seen.  Thoracic surgery in ferrets is rarely done, and only at
large veterinary institutions.
 
>Also, the doctor prescribed 14 days of amoxicillon (sp!!) for both Tarzan
>and Minnie following their surgery.  I don't like to give (or take)
>antibiotics lightly.  Plus, Minnie came off 14 days of Baytril about two
>weeks ago.  IS THIS A bit much?
 
14 days is not too much.  I prefer 7, but 14 days is not way out of the
range.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[Posted in FML issue 1476]