From:
cauchidm@swbell.net
Date: 2001-03-02 15:22:00 UTC
Subject: Ripley's Lack of Calcium
This is my first post to this group and I would like to say hello to
everyone and am very thankful someone pointed me to this direction.
I own 16 ferrets and my 4 and a half year old male, Ripley, has a
problem I need advice on.
Rippy has been wobbly in the hind leg area for about two months now
and the first thing that went through my mind was the dreaded
insulinoma. I took him to his vet and Dr. XXXXX ran a CBC, urine
test, and a few other tests on him and found no insulunoma,
lymphosarcoma, or anything else deadly but the two X-rays he ran
showed his hind legs lacking calcium to the point of the middle of
his bones looking black. Rip also suffered from two ruptured disks.
The doctor was reluctant to call this osteoporosis and was also
sceptical on the part of the body not metabolizing the calcium
properly but he did not know what else it could be. He put Rip on
1/4th a tablet of PetCal a day and I had to isolate the little guy
from my other rambuncious ferts. I lowered all the hammies and sleep
sacks and banned Rip from anything he could jump off of as a broken
leg would probably be an easy and deadly thing to happen. Does
anyone have any other suggestions and advice because I am at a loss
as to how long the calcium tabs will take to 'go to work' and also
can my ferret take glucosamine in any amount?
My ferrets mean everything to me and fert knowledgeable vets are rare
where I live. Any help you can give me would really be appreciated.
Diane