From:
Ferretwise
Date: 2001-04-18 17:42:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Ferrets eye popping out-Absess? !
Hello -
IN response to your question on the bulging ferret eye.
I hope your experience is kinder than ours in this department.
Personally, I would not think abcess if the ferret has been eating right
along - abcess is an infection and would most likely prompt the ferret to
be off- feed. The exception would be if the ferret has bad dentalage,
cavity or broken tooth. I may be an oral tumor or cyst or other
manifestation which could be causing bleeding under the skin-- to produce
bruising.
In the past we had a silver MF ferret in the shelter age 5 years ( male)
who developed a bulging eye-- the first vet speculated an ulcerated
cornea-- I was not buying that, as the manifestation happened over
night. HIs recommendation was to suture the eyelid shut and treat with a
genticin based antibiotic-- I shelved the antibiotic declined the surgery
and scheduled a second opinion hours later.
Within hours the ferret was in pain-- chittering and clicking noises.
Refusing distractions of the favored treats and all. He was in severe
trouble. The second vet agreed this was not a good situation and at our
request performed euthanasia . Upon necropsy she found he had a massive
retro bulbar tumor which filled the entire eye socket putting pressure
against the eye. In this case am so glad I did not adhere to the advice
given by the first vet. Gentacin is not a good medication for ferrets - it
often will cause renal complications. There was no infection present in
the end - and the pressure of the eye against an eyelid sutured shut would
have been miserable, I imagine.
I am glad you have arranged to see a vet promptly and I truly hope your
ferret gets a quick and decisive diagnosis-- and I pray it will be a
treatable one.
Alicia
Ferretwise Shelter
www.ferretwise.org
At 11:39 PM 4/18/01 +0000, you wrote:
>Ok vet oppt is all ready made for tomorrow, but I am impatient and am
>hoping to find out more to give the vet.
>
>I have a male MF ferret who up to now seemed exstremely healthy. I
>was watching him stretch and yawn today, when I noticed some black
>coloring on the left side of his mouth, right next to his back teeth
>[inner mouth-not on the outter gums]. I then looked closer...omg his
>eye is bugging out! I keep staring at him to see if I'm seeing things
>right and I start to notice....yes, his eye is definally bugging out
>and bigger than the other eye. It looks like his cheek is even a
>little swollen! I pulled him out and made him yawn-definally some
>sort of blackish [kind of looks like bruising] coloring to the one
>side of his mouth. I couldn't get a good look at it, but it just
>looked to 'rim' that one side right above the teeth.
>
>A million things are running through my head-the first thing that
>comes to mind is a Absess of some sort? Aren't those deadly? What is
>done for them-surgery? If so, how successful is the surgery? The only
>other thing I can think of is some sort of tumor.
>
>If anyone has any idea, please let me know!
>
>
>
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