From:
mjo.dullum@vtc.net
Date: 2002-08-28 14:16:16 UTC
Subject: please help - suggestions for sick ferret
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3240576.1030544176984.JavaMail.root@scandium>
I need some suggestions for a sick little 8 month old male ferret I've had here for five weeks. He was ADV tested and it was negaive.
He was released by his owner along with his sister because of all the normal reasons we've heard. He had been sick for about 3-1/2 weeks with diahrea, lost weight, and by the time I got him he was down to 2 lbs 1 oz. When he got diarhrea she had put him on soy milk, so that was all he was eating. Plus when I got him he was covered with fleas, got rid of those right away! And he is very lethargic. Needless to say he was not very well. By now he has been very sick for about 8-1/2 weeks.
I started him on amoxi, pepto, preds and Bob's chicken gravy, got lots of suggestions and help from Troy Lynn, to get me through until I was able to get him to the vet, which took two weeks as she is really booked up. He was somewhat dehydrated, but gave him electrolytes and that seems to be okay now.
Anyway, when he went in she did blood tests and a physical and she doesn't feel it is a blockage (cause he had gained weight), ECE (I didn't think it was that either after working with him, I've had all my ferrets go through this and it just wasn't the same), or IBD. She diagnosed him as having Proliferative Bowel Disease (Campylobacter). He was anemic (which we feel was due to the fleas), and has a heart murmur. She feels this could be related to the anemia. He had a temp that day and seemed to be catching a cold. We did not give vaccinations to him that day and won't until we get him well.
I have been giving him Bob's gravy 3 times a day, though he won't eat kibble at all. He is agressive on his eating as far as attacking a spoon, spatula, finger, syringe, anything you might use. It's like he doesn't know how to lick. But he has put on weight and is up to almost 2 lbs. 12 oz.
My vet prescribed 1/2 cc pet tinic once a day for the anemia. Pepto (0.3cc) as needed for the diarrhea, stopped the amoxi and started him on CHPC (Chloromycitin), 0.5 cc twice a day, and keep him on 0.1cc of pred once a day.
Well, he started doing better, his poops quit as far as diarrhea goes, but were never "normal". He has very small poops, maybe like 1/2 tsp. at a time. Never black and tarry, but a few times very dark brown and sticky. Sometimes very thin, like stringy I guess. Sometimes okay, but very small. When his diahrea stopped, I stopped the pepto after a few days, but kept up the other meds.
Yesterday he decided he didn't even want his gravy. He's still very very lethargic. Doesn't seem to be in pain, but just isn't well. Now his poops are even less, sometimes like they have mucus in them. He also tried to throw up a couple times yesterday, he may have once that I noticed (didn't catch him, but looked like it). It's hard to tell as he does it in the litterbox.
This doesn't seem to be contageous as his sister is fine, and my other 9 ferrets haven't gotten sick. I did isolate them from the other ferrets for the first three weeks.
I'm sorta at my wits end with him. This is so discouraging as he seemed to be getting better, then he's sliding back again.
It's been three weeks since his last appointment, and until yesterday, I thought he was coming around. He has an appointment with the vet tomorrow a.m. and I was wondering if anyone here could give me some suggestions I might take to her on what else might be going on with him. He's a beautiful little cinnamon and if he gets well I have an adoptive mom waiting for him and his sister.
Thank you for any help you might give me.
mjo