From:
CFERRETTAILS@aol.com
Date: 2001-12-28 15:04:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Diarrhea
My experience with Diarrhea.
There are many reasons ferrets get Diarrhea.
If a ferrets has been in a shelter, he has been exposed to many ferrets, and
often ferrets get stress diarrhea in shelters. Diarrhea can be caused by
many things, different food, stress of being with different ferrets,
bacteria, ECE. Whenever, you bring a new ferret into your home do not expose
it to your other ferrets for at least two weeks, wash your hands, clothes
before touching your other ferrets.
I just went through it here and almost all of my ferrets have had it. I lost
Snoopy because I didn't react soon enough and took him to the vet. I should
have been giving him ringers lactate (fluids), instead of trying to do it by
oral (syringe feeding him). I did not realize that even if a ferret is
getting fluid and food orally, that when he is severely dehydrated, it's just
going thorough his system and not doing any good. The ferret needs the help
of a vet to inject fluids into him/her or teach you how to do it so you can
do it to your ferret.
We still do not know what is causing the Diarrhea here, but the vet gave me
Albon, and I have been giving Pepto Bismol to all the ferrets this past
couple of weeks. The ones that were really badly dehydrated has had injected
fluids. They all seem to be better now. The litter boxes are beginning to
show the regular type of ferret poop.
Please watch your ferrets carefully and don't wait till they have become
really severely dehydrated before going to your vet and getting help! Also,
make sure you know of an emergency 24 hour vet that will take your ferret in
case of emergency. Just because an emergency vet clinic says they are a 24
hour vet clinic, that doesn't mean they will take ferrets. I learned this
also the hard way. Even thou this Vet clinic had spayed and neutered many of
my ferrets in the past. The 24 hour Animal emergency clinic would not let me
bring Snoopy in, they said they did not have a vet that could take care of a
ferret and would not give me the Ringers Lactate. Thank goodness our shelter
mom did have the Ringers Lactate and I was able to take Balou over at 11:30pm
or she also would have went with Snoopy to Rainbow Bridge.
The best advice I can give any ferret mom or dad is BE PREPARED for any
emergency and know how you are going to react and what you will do in an
emergency and where you can take your ferret for medical care.
Charleen and the Wa. Tails