From:
Betty Lynn Rebel
Date: 2001-06-02 18:46:00 UTC
Subject: Sick Monkey (Fert) needs Advice!
okay... we have a lot of little fur companions here but it doesnt
keep us from paying proper attention to ALL of them... there are 12
in total now...THANKS MARY! ... LOL... 3 of them are fosters... two
of which are doing wonderfully... amazing considering one of the ones
that is doing wonderfully is a senior seniorita.. shes and old girl
with as much energy as the two babies we currently have... its
amazing... Gracie is a total LOVE... Dale just had adrenal surgery
and is also doing wonderfully... healing nice, playing, eating and
back to cuddling with his old timer cage mates... the one that is on
our concern list right now is Chip... If any of you have one of those
awesome (not to insinuate that our other ferts are awesome, as well)
ferts that will just flop down with you and take a nap...cuddle with
you, actually ENJOY being held for long periods of time... this is
Chip...lately he has not been himself... still quite cuddly and
loveable, but he's health is taking a turn for the worse... he is
insulinomic, he has had a bilateral adrenal removal and a partial
pancreatomy... He is on .5cc of Pediapred twice a day we did up his
pediapred about 6 weeks ago to .75cc but his symptoms got more
pronounced so we dropped him back down to .5cc about 10 days ago and
he "was" also on a medication to help with a bladder blockage caused
by his prostate "phenoxylbenzamine" - his symptoms got worse while he
was on it... mostly the hind end weakness... we started him on half a
pill in the morning and at night, the symptoms got worse, then we
dropped him to half a pill at night, symptoms still worsening and
finally to 1/4 of a pill only at night... syptoms stopped increasing
but dint disapear, we ran out of the pills this week and CHOSE to not
continue them... he WALKS now but is obviously still weak and wobbly
and he cant climb into the litter pan... so he poops beside it... we
have a wonderful ferret knowledgeable doctor here who did tell us
that the Phenoxy could have been a factor in the hind end weakness...
any thoughts on this? ... he is also a little overweight... he eats
(that's good!)I should mention that he has lost a considerable
ammount of weight over the past 6 weeks... even though he is still
eating and drinking he takes baby food (Chicken and Rice) with no
complaints and he even pokes his little nose in the bottle after
more, so he has NOT lost his appetite...there are some other strange
things.. we had his BG checked and it was at 89... thats NOT so
bad that he should be this unhealthy (or at least I dont think so??
but I am not EXPERT, ie DVM and I definately dont know as much as I
would like to about ferrets... hehe.. TEACH ME =O) ! )... he had an
insulinomic episode once when his BG was 74... but even then the
episode was NOT as pronounced as what I am seeing now... he shakes...
it starts at his little hind legs... then slowly moves up until his
whole body is shaking including his head... He doesnt make any noises
to indicate pain and I regularly check his tummy to make sure he isnt
tender, since the blockage. He is going potty... pooping and
peeing...We can stop the shaking by giving him a little Kayro syrup
and then some baby food or duck soup but it starts again ...
sometimes in 10 minutes... sometimes in an hour and sometiems not
until the next day... I have never seen this with any other
ferret...it does NOT look like the insulinomic episode I witnessed
with him at the end of last year...
any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated... Im at a
loss... all of our thoughts on what it might be make NO sense...
so... please if anyone can think of anything I should have checked...
anything you may have seen that looks like what I have described...
ANYTHING would be appreciated... I would be endebted to you and I
would pass on the kind gesture of help to somebody else in need!
PS... if you have time go rent "pay it forward" and watch it... grab
a box of hankies, you will need them. Its an awesome movie! I know
its not FHL related... well, maybe it is, considering what you do
here! =O)
Oh yeah, Chip is a 4YO Marshall Farms Ferret... Thought that might be
somehow pertinent.
Thanks in advance!
Dooks and ...
If I cant dance its NOT my revolution! - Emma Goldman
-Betty Rebel... *great guardian of the treats*