From:
fuzztek2@yahoo.com
Date: 2001-03-02 21:21:00 UTC
Subject: Re: New and Prolapsed Question
Mary,
With running a shelter I have had my share of prolapsed rectums. You
didn't say how old the ferret was, the ones I have dealt with were
from pet shops and about 7-9 wks old. Some ferrets at that age
can't eat dry food yet.Keep the anus clean with a little warm water
& don't use litter that will stick to his rear, you can use shredded
newspaper until it is healed. I put them on moistened TF until the
prolapse goes in. Then gradually go to dry. If they prolapse again
they are back on moistened food.Nothing else just TF( if that is
going to work it will start to go in after 48 hrs. if not look for a
medical problem). Another had an E-coli overgrowth and Augmentin
cured that.Another problem was coccidia and the ferret was on
Albon.Ask your vet about these problems. Good luck.
Yvonne
In Ferret-Health-list@y..., mary.rogers@v... wrote:
> I found you! All I need is just one more list to try and keep up
> with. LOL!
>
> I'm still struggling with Oliver's prolapsed rectum. His scent
glands
> have been expressed a few times. His stools are not firm. He's
> straining. He'll be two in May. He acts fine except when his
little
> rectum doesn't go back in and he's very uncomfortable. It seems
like
> he'll be fine for a few days and then not. I'm checking his little
> bum constantly (Oh, Mom!).
>
> I've been supplementing his diet with some gravy, or chicken baby
> food, and a little cream because he loses weight if I don't. He
was
> eating Totally Ferret, but now prefers the cats special food while
> he's out. I do mix both in the cage hoping he'll eat it. I've
tried
> different dry foods to find something he likes better. I've left
out
> the extra soft foods to see if that is contributing. So far I have
> not been able to put two and two together. I don't know if it's
two
> different things going on or if it's ADV related. Of course, I've
> been using creams and ointments on him too, but that only helps
> temporarily.
>
> He was at the vets yesterday for observation and he expressed his
> glands again. I have not seen a problem when I checked him last
night
> and this morning. That still doesn't explain the soft stools. But
> thankfully he's not poofing like he was several weeks ago either
when
> he first had impacted scent glands.
>
> My vet is going to take a rectal biopsy first and if the pathology
> report doesn't show anything then he'll go in and biopsy the
> intestines, stomach and colon (if I remember correctly). He said
the
> rectal tissue felt different (tubular)??? He did run a scope up
him a
> few weeks ago and said everything looked OK from the rear to the
colon.
>
> I'd really appreciate any helpful info or if anyone has experienced
> this before. I'm frustrated because I don't know what to do to
help
> him any more especially since I have not been through this before.
>
> Thanks,
> Mary