From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2001-06-28 12:28:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] cut palate help asked
Sukie, sorry to hear Warp is having troubles again...
On Thu, 28 Jun 2001, Sukie Crandall wrote:
> *** Will be calling our vet in the morning, of course (sooner if she
> has problems again), but wanted to ask if anyone has run into anything
> ferret-safe that is soothing or numbing for a cut palate?
I've wondered about this myself and don't have any firm suggestions. My
sweety Sonic has done this a few times. And Cricket had some oral ulcer
issues when she first came to me. Very aggravating! But anyway, I'll
share what I've tried and may or may not help:
- The carafate you're already giving her. Try to direct a couple of drops
at the scratch when you give it. A vet I visited once when my regular vet
was away suggested it may possibly bond with the scratched tissue like it
does to ulcers and might help it heal a bit faster. I can't say it
definitely helps, but as long as I'm giving carafate, if there is also an
oral ulcer or scratch, I try to get some on there. Just be careful to not
do anything to cause aspiration or choking. If it makes the fuzzy
struggle more, it may not be worth the risk.
- Slippery elm bark powder made into a gelatious goo with some water. I
think I recall you've used slippery elm before for other stuff so are
already familiar with it... Mix a bit of it the powder with some warm
water until it's the right consistency and then suck it up in a syringe
and try giving it. My guys don't seem to mind it the taste very much,
hard to say if it really helps though. It supposedly helps with
inflammations of mucous membranes in the mouth as well as the more
familiar GI stuff it's usually given for. Mine hate carafate and I worry
about trying to get it on the roof of the mouth, but they're much more
layed-back for the slippery elm goo. :-)
The other suggestions aren't really for soothing the scratches but just
for these problems associated with mouth-clawing. If Warp is over that
part and just dealing with the scratch itself now, these are irrelevant:
- Trim their nails nice and short and then file them very smooth as soon
as you see any mouth clawing at all. I think it helps limit the damage
they can do. It's hard to remember to keep on top of it with Sonic's
intermittent problems! She'll stop for so long that I let slip on the
nail routine, and then she'll claw again with her nails longer and/or
freshly trimmed and so sharper than they should be, which can cause
another scratch.
- Sonic sometimes seems to get relief from her weird nausea with Reglan
(metoclopramide) and then ceases clawing, but I don't know if it's really
related. Her problems are all so strange and intermittent that it's very
hard to attribute what parts of her regimine cause what improvements.
Right now she's actually doing great, nausea-wise, and even eating kibble
all on her own! Currently she's getting both reglan and carafate...
If you find something that helps, definitely report back!
(all non-vet disclaimers apply)
-Pam S.