Message Number: SG1044 | New FHL Archives Search
From: mjanke@miamiferret.org
Date: 2002-08-27 03:07:41 UTC
Subject: RE: Noise & heaving
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <19324934.1030417661751.JavaMail.root@scandium>

I don't recall the history, but this sounds suspiciously like megaesophagus. Particularly the part about his system making noise. People that I've talked to that had ferrets with this condition often described the sound as being like water going down a drain or something similar.

This is a condition where the esophagus becomes stretched and loses its ability to move food down to the stomach. The food sits in the esophagus and the ferret eventually regurgitates the food. If it does go down, it can make a strange gurgling sound.

I believe that an x-ray, perhaps coupled with barium, will quickly reveal if this is the case.

If you want to read more on this condition, go to my website and see Carla Almarez's article on the subject. The URL is...

http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/megaesophagus.htm

mike

Author wrote:
> Has anyone had a ferret who doesn't want to eat dry food and when he
> eats his system makes noise. Doc found a hard lump that he's not sure
> what it is. Moose isn't doing well on Amoxicillin, he wants to throw
> up, even more. He has lost a lot of weight.
> Stephanie & the 9 Closet Thieves