From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-28 00:46:00 UTC
Subject: Re: How can I tell if its a cold or not.
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Joy Galey <sacred@w...> wrote:
> Hi my name is Joy. I'm new to the list and have a question about my
> ferrets. I have been a ferret owner and lover for 3years now and up
to
> this point I have been lucky that my little ones haven't had any
> problems. My little ones seem to have a cold. I started noticing
this
> yesterday. My older one started sneezing alot during the morning and
> through out the day. The middle one also started in the afternoon
with
> the same systoms. I kept my eye on them but they didn't seem to get
any
> worse. I was woke up this morning about 5am with my older one making
> some kind of hacking noise (the only way I can explain the sound). I
> have been watching them all day and it seems to me they have a cold.
> They sneeze alot, sounds like their noises are stopped-up and I can
tell
> it bugs them to breathe when they lay down to sleep. I also notice
that
> they breathe threw thier mouth when they lay down, so I seem to
think it
> drys his throat out and that what is making him do this hacking
noise.
> The older one is the worse. The middle one hasn't made this noise
yet
> but he still seems to sneeze and have a stopped-up noise. The baby
> doesn't seem to be effect at all right now. They still drink, eat
and
> play normal. I wanted to know if anybody could tell me if this is a
cold
> or not. Is it something I should be really worried about? Is there
> anything I can do for them to help them any? If it is a cold is
there
> anything I can give them for it? I heard that antihistamine product
> Chlor-Trimeton may be used at 1/4 tablet 2 times daily for sneezing
that
> may interfere with sleeping or eating. Has anybody used this?
Dear Joy - I would direct you to the post immediately preceding this
one, as my comments on "colds" in ferrets are as valid now as they
were when I wrote them 2 minutes ago. Ferrets that are eating,
drinking, and playing normally in spite of a mild respiratory tract
infeciton are not candidates for treatment, with human meds or
otherwise. Chlor-Trimeton is not just an antihistamine, but the
pseudoephedrine is a stimulant, and is not indicated for use in
ferrets.
The best way to help them is to give them lots of TLC, make sure that
they continue to eat, and not worry about their sneezing.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM