The vet explained that captive female opossums that live outdoors in a cage are the only opossums that should recieve and OVH. Getting the surgery done will only assure that a UTI infection will not spread to the uterus. I will still get UTI's because my poopie and pee come out of the same hole. Dr. Drake D.V.M said that i was the cleanest opossum she's ever seen. My teeth and gums and perfect condition for being a year old, and my pouch is super clean. She said that my pads were so soft, and had never been able to feel opossums toes before because the ones she works with are usually wild and move around too much. She told mommy that i also do better without restraint! She told mom that i just sat on the table while she took my blood and squeezed a urine sample out!! WOW! I was such a good girl. So, it turns out that i dont need the surgery because i'm not in any risk of picking up an excess amount of bacteria, because i live inside.
Dr. Drake took blood from me, even though i just had a blood test done 3 weeks ago when i had diarreah. She said because the color of my urine changed, a lot of numbers in my blood work should be differnt, and we could tell what i had through the blood test. They did a urinanalysis, and found a very minute trace of blood which could be causing the amber color. but because my urine and bowel come out in the same hole, it is hard to tell whether im bleeding from my bladder or maybe tore some part of my rectum from having hard stool 2 days ago. because the trace was so small, she thinks its from a tear in my rectum, which will heal. The test also showed that the mucus coming out is probably a type of reaction from having an infection, and antibiotics will help (mommy thought maybe i might have cushing's, which is really bad) The urine also showed traces of bacteria that causes a UTI, which could be caused from not being given antibiotics when i was born. Every opossum should be put on antibiotics when they are born, and i wasnt. My stool sample they took showed traces of an in infection, which Dr. Drake thought might be a parasite that was not detected in my blood work 3 months ago, because Dr. Hong didnt know that opossums always carry this parasite in their liver! (the antibiotic given when we are born will kill the eggs to this parasite).
So, the blood work: Dr. Drake gave mommy a heart attack, she said that from the results of the urinanalysis and the stool sample that there could be a problem with my LIVER! She said that kidney problems in opossums are mostly rare with female opossums as young as me, most kidney problems would develop when were 3 or 4, and mostly in males. So, with the kidney out of the picture, Dr. Drake focused in on my liver. Because everything looks as tho i still have the parasite i mightve been born with, this looks like it will be the verdict. The parasite is very common in opossums, it lives in our liver and matures, eggs cannot be seen in my stool because they live in the liver, the parasite cannot be given to dogs, cats, or humans. I can get rid of this parasite with dewormer. The other option that may be happening to my liver is: liver disease. It is very rare in opossums, happening in only 1/400, but it can still happen. If it is liver disease, i will die before my 2nd birthday. So, Dr. Drake sent out the blood work, and sent mommy home with my antibiotics and told her to keep me on my regular diet and regular bathing and excersise schedule.
Mommy waited all day to hear from Dr. Drake about the blood work yesterday. She called 3 times, and the vet was in surgeries all day, and they said she would call mom back by 9pm. mommy collected a urine sample, because it looked like the amber color was dissipating a little bit. Mommy took it up to the vet office, and then we came home to relax. Still, nothing from Dr. Drake and boy were we panic-ing! Around 9:45pm, Dr. Drake finally called! The first words out of her mouth were : GOOD NEWS! and mommy felt her heart drop ! She said that it was a good thing mom brought in the 2nd urine sample! My blood work came back with normal results! My calcium levels are elevated just a little bit, but nothing that cant be fixed by changing my diet a little bit. The Parasite bacteria levels were way down, but still present. My 2nd urinanalysis showed that blood traces were decreased significantly, probably because my tear was healing. and mucus levels are also decreasing. My liver enzymes looked like they were returning to normal numbers, which means NO LIVER DISEASE!!! yay! The vet said that i should finish out the antibiotics for the whole 14 days, keep my diet as it is, with bones from the chicken on every other time i eat chicken (to decrease calcium levels), and mommy needs to call her every 7 days to update them on how i am doing. Mommy has to take urine samples everytime i pee pee to observe the color and texture, and amount of mucoid membrane. If it looks like it is getting worse, she needs to take a sample straight to the vet. I am drinking fine, so i am not dehydrated, and im eating fine, so im not becoming anorexic, which means its not Cushing's disease, which is also good news! When mommy gets a stool sample, she has to collect it and observe it also, she is writing down everyday's information that way when she calls she wont forget ANYTHING! Dr. Drake also said that it looks as tho the antibiotics are doing a good job in killing the parasite, because i did have the little sucker! But, after 14 days are up, i will go back and get my blood work done again so that Dr. Drake can compare enzyme levels from last time, and make sure im getting better! If blood work comes back clean when they take it in 14 days, then i will be given a dewormer that mommy will have to readminister in 6 months.
So, I'm healthy. It just looks as though that the parasite made just enough bacteria inside my liver to make my urine amber/red, and make me develop an infection which my body tried to fix by pushing mucus through my bladder and intestinal tract. I was cramping, which caused my hyperactivity the past 3 nights, and chewing and digging. The antibiotics are helping a lot, and i'm back to my old loving self. Mommy has a lot of work ahead of her for the next 2 weeks, which is okay because school doesnt start for 3 weeks!
Thanks to all of you that kept me in your prayers, and supported me and mommy. She will keep you updated with the results of the blood work in 14 days! But until then, it looks like my booty is clearing up, mucus is dissapating, smell is getting a little less harsh, still waiting for me to poop, and amber color is leaving my urine.
That was a close one! But were in the clear!!!!
