From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2002-08-19 14:56:56 UTC
Subject: Re: How much food? Your Opinions needed. (Sorry - Long)
To: oxbowindustries@aol.com, ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <p05111700b986b4ce3810@[10.0.1.28]>
> Melissa has gained over 1/2 lb. and is very sluggish. Depressed
>looking. Sometimes I hear her sigh when she is urinating. I do not
>think she likes it when I squeeze her belly. When she lays on her
>back in her hammock, her belly is looks like a water balloon. Also,
>she will walk a few steps and lay down...
>
> Also, she has had a few coughing - congested moments, but nothing I
>hear continuously.
Time for a vet appointment. This sounds like ascites, which can be
from several things including heart disease or kidney disease. She
needs some blood tests, a chest x-ray and likely an ultrasound.
We have usually seen this pattern with cardiomyopathy.
I am busy putting together a compilation on that for the files
section and will privately send you the rough stuff from which I am
working.
Here are some places which when combined with the compilation info
tell a lot about symptoms, medications, managing this illness, etc.:
Cardiomyopathy articles at websites:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/cardiomyopathy.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/cardio.htm
http://home.att.net/~hhoefer/ferret_heart.htm
Consultants to help your vet:
http://www.vetheart.com/
Many more past posts which may help may be found in the archives of
the Ferret Health List
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/