From:
Lynda Galloway
Date: 2001-05-30 11:06:00 UTC
Subject: Re: OK ?
From: Signe Peterson
To: Lynda Galloway
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 6:50 PM
I'm confused. I signed up for the ferret group, but can't
figure out how to ask a vet questions. Maybe you could forward
this for me? I'd appreciate any advice and support I could
get right now.
Thanks so much,
Signe
The facts are these:
Milly is 2 1/2 years old. She's never been ill before.
She and her sister Lilly got outside at the beginning of
April, and we didn't know it for nearly a week because they
were coming back and leaving again via the dryer hose. They
were seen outside by neighbors on numerous occasions, but they
didn't know who they belonged to. The Humane Society finally
captured Milly on Sunday, April 8th, and left a note on our
door. (Lilly escaped them and hiked it back home through the
dryer hose.) We couldn't pick Milly up until the Humane
Society opened for regular business the next day. We
understand Milly was kept in a private cage in the front
counter area during her incarceration.
Milly and Lilly didn't show any signs of illness or
dehydration. (We'd fed and played with them every morning and
evening during the week they were "missing.") We didn't find
any ticks on them.
Milly began having hind leg weakness on Sunday, May 20, along
with diarrhea. (Lilly is fine.) We took Milly to the vet on
Monday, May 21. This is a ferret-familiar vet who handles the
ferrets from the Ferret Nook, a large local shelter. The vet
suspected either 1) an infection; 2) an obstruction; 3) a
slipped disk.
Milly's temperature was normal and her bloodwork came back
normal except that the globulin was in the high-normal range.
Milly went back in on Thursday the 24th for an ADV test. The
results should be back by tomorrow (Wednesday). She also got a
cortisone shot at this time. I thought she was doing a little
better, getting her legs under her instead of dragging
straight out behind her, but she still couldn't use them much.
Her appetite is good and she's been eating Duck Soup or
Totally Ferret regularly. Her stool remains semi-solid or
runny. This morning she was making little squeaky sounds of
distress, and her eyes look tired. She's not moving well at
all. I called the vet and she said to keep feeding Milly and
wait for the test results. If they're negative, the next step
will be X-rays and probably surgery.
I'd like to hear from vets who've had experience with this
type of condition. If it's not ADV (and no case of ADV has so
far been positively identified in this area), what would the
vets on the list suspect as to cause? I'm not trying to
second-guess our own vet, just find out as much as I can
because, of course, I'm very upset and worried. Thank you.
Signe
s1peters@terracom.net
Lynda
Winnings will benefit ADV research and shelter ferrets.
Please vote for Stormy
http://www.gopbi.com/services/pets/slides/other_yearly_february.html
and here
http://www.sofla.com/services/pets/slides/other_yearly_february.html
May 10 to June 10