Dear Liz:
 
>Finding a donor in our location is difficult. I was very surprised to
>read in your response , Dr. Williams, that the same donor can be used
>again!  IS THIS FOR SURE?  My vet believed that the same donor cannot be
>used, but he also used to believe that the second time around, a ferret
>doesn't do well with  ANY donor!  Apparently he had read that somewhere
>re: dogs and cats I think.  Since then, he told me he investigated
>further (which is a good thing; he is always willing to learn more and
>will change his opinion when needed)...and found out that this does not
>apply to ferrets.  Still, I think he is under the assumption that the
>SAME ferret cannot donate again to Fang.  Please tell us this on the
>FML, or write to me privately, and let us know for sure.  His surgery is
>scheduled for Monday!
 
For sure.  I agree, I would probably be more comfortable with another donor
as well - all individuals have some antigens that are personal, but there
is no evidence that suggests that donors cannot be used more than once, or
that any significant reactions occur when the same donor is used again.  I
know a number of vets that have used their personal ferrets as donors,
sometimes for the same patient.
 
There are no discernible blood groups in ferrets.  It is likely that
there probably are, but they do not appear to have the ability to cause
a transfusion reaction as you see in people or domestic animals, such as
cats.
 
In Fang's case, the only reason you would use a transfusion in an
emergency, and in such a circumstance, you use whatever ferret you can
get your hands on (with the owner's permission, of course.)
 
>Secondly, Dr. Williams, Fang is not really young.  But not old, according
>to some I have read about on this list.  Is 5 1/2 considered too old?  We
>really are pushing the age thing, I think, but I don't think it is so old
>that we shouldn't try the surgery.  Please answer this age thing.
 
Definitely not too old for surgery.  7 or even 8 is not too old for some
animals; 2 is too old for some.  Each animal, like every person, is an
individual - I know some 30-year-olds in miserable shape, and some
75-year-olds in great shape.
 
I tend to look at biological age rather than chronological age when talking
about surgical candidacy.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3267]