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>There are a range of diseases which have been mistaken for DIM at first:
>other causes of sepsis, JL, other lymphoma type(s), Canine Distemper,
>meningitis, etc.
 
>While DIM patients can lose appetite most do not; most retain a good
>appetite but are weak enough to need help to eat.
 
>What is the white count like?
 
>Signs of sepsis present?
 
>Temperature?
 
**Those were my questions as well, Sukie.  All of the cases of DIM that I
have seen (and some of you may recall that I saw the first case discussed
on this forum and was the first to ask if this was an emerging disease)
have had wonderful appetites, although they needed assistance to eat.  No
mention was made of the temperature on this ferret, and I would be very
interested in this.  Is there or has there been an inflamed lymph node
noted, also?
 
As far as the question of whether or not the Metacam might affect
pathology results - yes, it might.  If this is indeed DIM, it is an
inflammatory illness and as Metacam is an anti-inflammatory drug, it
could indeed have some effect on the tissue.  As could the previously
administered amoxicillin, even after it was stopped.
 
I'm so sorry to hear of this little guy's illness - I know how much you
care for the kids.**
 
Dr. Ruth
*****************************************
Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.
 
---
 
[Sukie Note 1:  later data sent sound more consistent with a possible
DIM case.]
 
[Sukie Note 2: The two pathologists who can do the needed tissue sample
testing are Doctors Mike Garner of Zoopath, and Matti Kiupel of Michigan
State.  Some others have looked at a smaller number of cases, but these
are THE pathologists who are systematically studying it.  Also, a few
other people who had been jointly looking at it lacked time to continue
to do so.  These two veterinary pathologists also are sharing all of
their data with each other to get the best results and are even doing
some non-standard tests (some of which have been financed by donations
from the International Ferret Congress) to try to get to the source of
the problem.
 
Dr. Katrina Ramsell of Southwest Animal Hospital in Oregon is THE person
who has been following reports of such cases and the treatments used.
She knows of claims of cured ferrets, but so far none of those have had
pathology done to confirm that DIM was even involved.  Also, so far none
of those medical approaches that produced cures (whatever the causes in
those cases) have worked on any ferrets with confirmed cases.  Dr.
Ramsell has doctorates in both veterinary medicine and pharmacology.]
 
[Sukie Note 3: Dr. Ramsell spoke at the last AFA veterinary conference,
and Dr. Garner will be speaking at the upcoming Canadian IFC symposium
to be held in June.]
 
carried to the FML by Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
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FHL Archives fan
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replacing
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5110]