From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-13 21:06:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Is there a vet out there right now? I need some help
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "sue" <ferret@i...> wrote:
> If there is a vet out there on the list that gets this soon, please
email me, I have a very sick ferret and I have questions, I cannot
reach my vet, please help me, problems with my very first ferret,,
she's my baby, she's 7 and she has become anemic, pale, what can I do
fast?
Dear Sue:
I can understand the attachment to that first one.
With anemia, because of the range of causes, and the different drugs
that are used to treat diseases, there is no "one cure fits all"
approach. By guessing and giving a drug to treat one cause of anemia
in a ferret, we may end up actually making the problem worse.
In an older ferret, anemai may be the result of a number of causes,
including a bleeding ulcer, autoimmune destruction, kidney disease,
lymphoma, the rare case of adrenal disease, and even long-term
illness.
I'm going to make two suggestions for what you can do tonight. If
you have any Carafate, from any previous ferrets that may have had
ulcers, let's start by giving a dose of that. If there is an
actively bleeding ulcer, that may haelp to slow or temporarily stop
the bleed. Repeat every four hours, and ten minutes before every
meal. Second, have everything ready to go to the vet in the
morning. A CBC will certainly be required to establish the level of
anemai and to start identifying the cause. A cheistry panel may also
be useful in this regard. Also check the litter closely for tarry
stool, and watch her for grinding teeth, loose stool, etc. As
gastric ulcers are the #1 cause of anemia in ferrets, let's start
there.
Also, with any anemic ferret, let's keep the stress down. Quiet and
isolated until we see the vet in the morning.
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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