From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2002-07-03 00:14:43 UTC
Subject: Advice needed
Hi, Barb, and everyone else,
>
> I have an older ferret, Peanut, who is going to be 6 in August.
> At his age you can guess that his health is not the greatest.
No, I can't guess that at all. Not to be contrary, but most of the five
and six year old ferrets I know are healthy or else have medical
problems that are controlled through medication. My Kodo is around
eight and has nothing that I am aware of wrong with him, and never has
had. Podo, who is the same age, has insulinoma, but with a regular dose
of prednisone he's fine and still bounces around like a kit.
Almost six is not that old, and at that age no treatable medical problem
should be left alone. Your ferret may have a number of good years left.
> His eyesight is failing (I've noticed him bumping into things
> frequently,
It is well documented that ferrets adapt pretty well to blindness and
can have a good quality of life. Has a vet looked at why his eyesight
is failing? What did he or she say?
> he has an ongoing battle with loose to liquid stools and
> although he eats like crazy he is nothing but skin and bones. Any
> advice you can provide on what I need to give him to help fatten him
> up and make him more comfortable would be very much appreciated.
Before I give any advice on fattening him up, I'd want to know why he is
having the problem in the first place. Has he been to a vet? Was a
stool sample examined? Was any blood work done? What did the vet come
up with?
Pertwee eats like crazy and is thin. He was "skin and bones" until
our vet started treating him for chronic pancreatitis. He eats Bob
Church's Chicken Gravy with a quarter teaspoon of Viokase-V added three
times a day, plus has free access to kibble in between feedings. The
Viokase powder is prescription medication -- and the cause of Pertwee's
problem is uncommon in ferrets. Pertwee has been gaining weight
steadily since we began treating him and is doing well, but his problem
is different from your ferret's as he didn't have loose stools. He did,
OTOH, three years ago when he lost weight and was treated for
heliobacter. Same weight loss, two different problems, two very
different treatments.
To me, first and foremost, is to get him to a vet. Until you know why
he's so thin and why his stools are so loose you can't possibly know the
best way to get some weight on him.
All the best,
Caity and the notorious nine