From:
williamsb@comcast.net
Date: 2002-07-15 01:31:31 UTC
Subject: RE: Need Help -Diarreha and blood in stools
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20775898.1026696691391.JavaMail.root@scandium>
> I have a 4 1/2 year old ferret, Mookie, that has been diagnosed with ECE. He
> had it once before, last January and seems to have a more severe case now. He
> has all the signs, first was the green poop and now it looks like bird seed.
> I took him to the Vet last Monday and he is on Sub-Q fluids and an antibiotic
> (Metronidazole).
> He has been doing well this past week, eating on his own (soup mainly,
> although I did see him eat some kibble last night). This morning I noticed
> that it appeared that there was blood in the stool, it is still runny and is
> more yellow today than the brown it has been (there is egg in his soup, so
> attribute the yellow to that), but it appears that his rectum area is swollen
> also.
> My question is ... could the swelling be due to irritation from the diarrhea
> and what can I do to help him be more comfortable? And if the blood in his
> stool is from an ulcer, what is safe to give him?
Dear Dianna:
Yes, the swelling in the rectum may be a mild prolapse, and is generally due to straining in animals with diarrhea. The blood in the stool, if it is fresh red blood may also be due to straining, or we may be dealing with a case of colitis here. After he defecates, rinse his anus with a small amount of cold water, and apply a dab of a mixture of one-half preparation H and one half 1.0% hydrocortisone cream to the area.
Animals generally only contract ECE once, so he may have a chronically inflammed bowel. In generally, animals with diarrhea tolerate kibble very poorly, so it is probably not a good idea to allow him access to it (it may have contributed to his yellow, runny stools.) No the yellowness isn't due to eggs (I am not a fan of raw eggs as part of a duck soup mixture), but the fact that the stool is coming out undigested.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM