From:
Julie Fossa
Date: 2001-02-25 19:13:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] foam around mouth & hind legs weak
Micaela, I will share a recent experience with you.
Mr. Molly is around five had a half years old. In
September he started on meds for cardiomyopathy. It
has been up and down for him.
Recently we noticed his blood glucose was a bit low,
but hesitated to put him on too high of a protein
diet, since the heart problem often can cause kidney
problems, thus you want to keep the protein level
moderately low. Yet, the heart being a muscle, you
don't want to cut too much protein out. Also, the
pediapred for insulinoma would tend to make him retain
water, where we were using lasix to keep the water
from collecting in his abdomen and lungs. It's a
delicate balancing act. We were giving him 0.10 mls
pediapred once a day, and frequently giving a mixture
of Gerber Chicken and Hills AD, diluted. We were
having to hand feed most of his meals, and he had
intermittent diarrhea.
About 3 weeks ago, Mr. Molly began to 'chew' and
salivate. He had a few sneezing fits mixed in. (he
acted a lot like you described Bones' behavior) I
immediately thought it was a low blood sugar episode,
gave him some pancake syrup, and a little Gerber
Chicken food, diluted; soon he 'came out of it'. (I
also gave him 0.5 ml of Pediapred with his food.)
About 30 minutes later it started again. Same thing.
He began to have these episodes about 30 minutes
apart, so I called my vet. He wasn't home, but his
wife said she would have him call when he came in.
By the time he called, less than an hour later, the
'episodes' were coming 7-10 minutes apart. He asked
if I had checked his glucose...I had not. I just
assumed, that since he had low blood sugar a few weeks
earlier, that was what was causing the problem. But,
using the syrup/high protein snack wasn't keeping the
symptoms from returning.
I checked it, and it was around 117 -not a fasting bg,
but not low enough that he should be having siezures.
My vet thought it could possibly be related to his
heart.
We had a vet appointment the following day, so we took
Mr. Molly along. He had stopped having these episodes
with the frequency of the night before, but he did
have one in the vet's office. Molly's vet didn't
really think it was 'siezures', and his heart sounded
really good.
He had us give him Amoxy and Biaxin to treat for
helicobacter. Ten days into the 14 day treatment, Mr.
Molly started eating kibble on his own. He has been
eating better than I have seen him eat in months!
When you take Bones in to your vet tomorrow, if his
blood glucose is within the normal range, you might
want to consider the possibility of Helicobacter.
(Boy, that was a lot just to tell you the last
paragraph! LOL)
Julie and Mr. Molly
--- Micaela <micaela@g...> wrote:
> Hello everyone.
> I just read about this list on the FML this morning
> & subscribed. I was hoping I wouldn't have to post
> for a long, long time.
> I went in the ferret room today & found my old man
> Bones (8 yrs old) lying in the middle of the floor.
> I said 'what you doing Bonesies' & he raised up his
> head & looked at me. I went in to get him & I
> noticed he had FOAM around his mouth.
> I brought him into the living room & he is really
> acting like he isn't doing good.
> He got up & used the bathroom right where he was, (
> he never does that) & tried to get on the floor to
> go again, I put him down & he started having what
> looked & sounded to me like a sneezing fit, then
> just laid on his side on the floor.
> I put him back on the couch & he laid down with his
> eyes half open for about 20 minutes or so then got
> up & went to the bathroom( a little) where he was
> again.
> I put him on the floor he acted like his hind legs
> wouldn't support him, trying to walk & he had
> another sneezing fit & laid on his side.
> He is sneezing & whining.When I just put him down
> he walks a step or two & his back legs went sideways
> & he will just lie down.
> & he just had another sneezing fit. Okay I am really
> worried about him...
> I am hoping just maybe he has a "bug" with the
> sneezing. I am worried I guess because he is getting
> so old, & that he isn't walking or making it out of
> his sleeping area for the potty.
> I have had Bones since he was a kit, he was my
> first ferret. He has been doing great lately, more
> active than usual & going through the 20 ft tube to
> the living room cage from the ferret room.Health
> history: He has had two surgeries for bladder stones
> in the past 3 years. I had worried about him having
> adrenal cancer because he has lost & grown back in
> his hair twice in the last 4 years, right now he has
> all his beautiful fur.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated, I am very worried
> about my old man. I've never seen him do this
> before. I would like to know what to suggest to my
> vet tomorrow if I need to take him . And would like
> to hear from experienced with this, I have 5 ferrets
> (6 here including my friends ) .But my Bones is the
> oldest...
> Thank you,
>
> ~Micaela~
> ~Bones~Sno~Cleo~
> ~Zeus~Sammy~& Dito~
>
>
>
=====
Julie Fossa
West Central Ohio Ferret Shelter
419/ 225-8383
"Just A Place To Hang Your Hammock
While You're Looking for A Home!"
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