|
Post by Heather on Dec 21, 2014 11:37:51 GMT -5
This is really fantastic. When you get the right meds, to whatever you're treating the change in the ferret can be miraculous. The meds you've been given offer a broad spectrum coverage, but it's also the "perfect cure" for ulcers and colitis. The amount of blood that was showing in the stools makes it look that whatever it was is at the lower end of the colon thus producing the red blood rather than the dark tarry stools that you would have seen with an upper GI ulcer. I'm curious and you've probably mentioned this but how old is your wee boy? One of the reasons I ask is that ulcers and GI upsets are often the result of adrenal disease. I know this is the wee boy that has serious gingivitis issues (this could also be the cause of his stomach upsets.....my boy Boris is fighting severe nausea because of his bad teeth) ciao
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 12:51:47 GMT -5
Caillou is about 5yrs old (based on his teeth). We already suspected Lymphoma, his last BG was high 70s or low 80s (my meter isn't calibrated). We were going to put him on Pred, was waiting for my Vet to give me a call back to let me know if it was okay as that would help if he had Lymphoma and would help his gingivitis. But my Vet is on vavacation until the 26th, and Pred was a risk of making his tummy worse.
How would you even go about diagnosing colitis or helicobacter and etc? He is so much better, but I'm worried it may happen again if we don't know what it is or what caused it. My family and the vet was trying to blame it on the raw... sigh... they tried to blame Juliets cancer and death on raw too. How wonderful.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 17:38:52 GMT -5
That is great news for Caillou and for you too of course! You must be so relieved!!! Thank God!! :boing:
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 19:07:21 GMT -5
How is Caillou doing today?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 19:21:39 GMT -5
Caillou has done nothing but improved I added a bit too much eggshell powder to their food and we had some constipated fuzzies for a bit but they're good now after some egg His appetite is crazy, he's already had 5.5 ounces of soup and still has dinner to eat tonight. He's so hungry we have been able to take another step in the switch and get him on bigger slivers, so yay for that!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 19:36:17 GMT -5
That is awesome to hear!! (dance)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 20:43:03 GMT -5
Very happy with how he is recovering, so quickly and with gusto. We seemed so close to losing him Saturday, and now he is acting completely normal. He is obsessively chewing though, probably from an upset tummy and paired with his gingivitis. I'm going to see if I can get him on some Carafate, my Vet is back in office Friday so I can have him call some in and replace the Pepsid with it.
I'm going to look through the Vet lists here and on the FB page to get a more ferret-knowledgeable Vets opinion, can't hurt to ask, and since my Vet won't be back till the weekend.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 21:19:58 GMT -5
It's such a great feeling when they begin to do better! I'm so happy for you both! I haven't checked Bella's BG again since this past Friday. I want to check it but then I'm worried that it won't be much higher and then I'll get discouraged. Mind you it went up almost 2 points in one day! Maybe tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 21:27:11 GMT -5
It really is great when they start improving. Has Bella been acting better/having more energy? It can take 7-10 days for Pred/meds for Insu to start affecting their BG. If it's been over 1 week and it hasn't gone up, that would probably be a good indicator to call your Vet and increase her dosage. I know it can be worrisome, but it's best to know so you can do the best for her, that may be increasing her dose, but you won't know until you check.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Dec 22, 2014 22:25:49 GMT -5
Are you sure you mean lymphoma or do you mean insulinoma? Two very different diseases (both use pred) but one can be treated the other cannot. You actually answered your own question regarding the diagnosis of ulcers....he's getting better...that will do it right there (dance) A lot of ferret diagnosis is observation and trial and error. Your vet (the ER vet) made an assumption by your observations that worked for your little one. Biochemical analysis and urinalysis and other laboratory testing may reveal anemia, infection with helicobacter, elevated levels of certain liver and kidney enzymes (including BUN and creatinine), mucosal irregularities apart from the ulcer itself, and foreign bodies within the abdominal or intestinal cavity. Ferrets with gastrodeuodenal ulcers may also exhibit lesions in the lower region of the stomach. The easiest and cheapest method is often observation and deduction. That's one of the reason's why a ferret savy vet is worth every penny. One of the issues with adrenal, is that one of it's common stress related diseases is ulcers and gastric issues. There is a test, the Tennessee Panel but it's often not accurate, and it's very expensive which is done to diagnose adrenal. Adrenal is done by observation, hair loss, sexual aggression, skin sores, rat tail.....but sometimes there's nothing...the ferret just doesn't seem to be right. That's when the trial and error comes in...the lupron trial or DES. So much of ferret care is gut feelings and observation. The experienced vet knows just the right questions to ask, and hopes that between your observations, their knowledge and the tests that are done that they can draw some sort of conclusion. That's how you find out. Good luck with your little one. It does sound like your little one is on the mend ciao
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 22:55:15 GMT -5
It really is great when they start improving. Has Bella been acting better/having more energy? It can take 7-10 days for Pred/meds for Insu to start affecting their BG. If it's been over 1 week and it hasn't gone up, that would probably be a good indicator to call your Vet and increase her dosage. I know it can be worrisome, but it's best to know so you can do the best for her, that may be increasing her dose, but you won't know until you check. Bella gets her spurts, but I'm not yet satisfied with where she is at. One thing is that she used to lie in our arms and not move, now at times she puts up a fuss and she wants to go on the floor. She also walks much faster now than she did before. Once she is done the Prednisone I am going for the liquid Pediapred. I will find a vet that will prescribe it! I've mentioned the shaking on here before...I wonder if that is actually the tremors they get with Insulinoma??
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 22:57:27 GMT -5
Heather do you mind if I ask where you are in Ontario??
I'm in Timmins, up North.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 23:02:31 GMT -5
I mean Lymphoma, Caillou has an enlarged spleen, enlarged lymph nodes around his neck (granted he's chubby and Vet said it can be caused by the gingivitis), and he's had 2 ten day rounds of Clindamycin, and 1 ten day round of Baytril, and it just masked his chewing until right when he went off them, so a suspected weakened immune system. I would MUCH rather Caillou have adrenal than lymphoma or insulinoma, all are awful but I've lost 2 babies from lymphoma and one from Insulinoma, (well, Jules had all 3)... he doesn't have any symptoms but the GI bleed, although GI issues can be a symptom of lymphoma too.. Heather, I'll have $200 on the 26th, I was planning on using it to test Caillou for Lymphoma, do you know the best way to diagnose it, and a rough estimate of cost? (closer to $50, or closer to $100+?) I'll call my Vets office and see if they can tell me, I don't even know if they do those tests but I can ask.. but the DES is around $200 too, I can get him an implant with the remaining and scrounging up some more, if he does have it, he reacts good, if he doesn't, well he's covered for 6 months and no harm done. I would do anything for this little guy, regardless of cost or difficulty, he's my special baby boy and the sweetest thing ever. Whatever happened I'm worried it will happen again if we don't find out what it is, but not sure where to start. I'm calling Vets in the morning and hopefully a more experienced ferret Vet can offer their opinion and help us figure it out.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 23:11:36 GMT -5
So she will be lethargic, then up and running? How long has she been on Pred?
Heather, maybe you can refer Bellamia to a Vet since you're both in ON, Canada, her Vet wouldn't prescribe her ferret liquid pred amongst other things.
Tremors associated with Insulinoma? Do you mean seizures? My Neichei shook a lot, she didn't have much hair and so I always tried to keep her warm, but it wasn't constant. If I'm not mistaken, shaking can also be associated with pain, how are Bellas poops? She could have ulcers, carafate would help this. My Neichei had ulcers and she took carafate for them.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Dec 22, 2014 23:23:57 GMT -5
I live near Toronto. Timmins....it's been a long time since I lived up there. Lived in a tiny place called Monteith and went to school in Val Gagner. Tremors will occur if the BG gets lower. A blood test will not confirm lymphoma it will tell you possibilities but it won't confirm it. Before you give up though, there is this to consider....swollen lymphnodes and spleen can also be directly related to a viral or bacterial attack. The meds that your little one is on, could very well be the cure of all of the above or at least the start. I had a boy who had the symptoms your boy exhibits....we treated him for ulcers, which it was but they returned, we treated again, once again the ulcers came back. We treated him for adrenal, using DES and it all went away. He was adrenal. The ulcers, the swollen lymphnodes, the enlarged spleen (is almost gone) is gone. Atreyu is adrenal. That is his primary disease...the others are related to the adrenal, but are actually symptoms. ciao
|
|