>From: Amy Robbin <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Yellow nose, dark urine, rapid decline Re; "Buster" - 4.5 y.o. previously healthy male ferret; Death following Yellow nose, Dark urine >Does anyone have any clue as to what the skin yellowing may be (Kidney >failure? okay, what causes that in an otherwise healthy young male) Sorry to hear of your sudden loss of Buster. It is always devastating when we lose these wonderful pets at such a young age and with such little warning. It sounds like Buster presented with "jaundice" ["jon-dis"]. Jaundice is a sign that something is wrong with the body's normal handling of the break-down process for red blood cells (RBCs). In healthy animals RBCs are constantly being destroyed and new RBCs are being made. Old RBCs release hemoglobin molecules into the blood. Hemoglobin is broken down into "heme" and globin. Heme is converted to "bilirubin" -- a yellow-colored molecule, which is then carried to the liver. If the liver is working properly, most bilirubin is processed further ("conjugated") before it is excreted into the bile, and then into the intestines. Bilirubin is further metabolized by intestinal bacteria to "urobilins," which contribute to the color of the feces. A small percentage of these compounds are reabsorbed and eventually appear in the urine. Normally very little bilirubin reaches the urine. When there is something wrong with this process, bilirubin accumulates in the skin, eyes and other tissues, turning them yellow ("jaundice"), or in the urine, turning it dark. Jaundice is often a result of liver failure, or the sudden destruction of red blood cells. Abnormal liver function can result from infections (bacterial, viral, parasitic), ingestion of toxic materials (including drugs, poisons, poisonous plants), drug toxicity, tumors, direct (physical) injury to the liver, or even congenital metabolic errors or anatomical abnormalities (e.g., gallstones causing blockage of the bile ducts). In some cases the liver is not the primary problem. Rapid break down ("hemolysis") of RBCs can overwhelm the liver's ability to eliminate bilirubin fast enough. Causes of hemolysis include infections (see above), poisonings (see above), drug effects, auto-immune disease, or from unknown causes, such as idiopathic hemolytic anemia. These events are often sudden. In such cases, transfusions are usually ineffective in treating hemolysis, because the new blood is destroyed as quickly as it is infused. While an autopsy might have uncovered the cause of Buster' medical problem, some causes might not be readily apparent, requiring additional testing methods. Regards - [FE] [Posted in FML issue 4750]