From:
FHbytheSea@aol.com
Date: 2002-08-19 21:49:55 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] possible allergy to ear cleaner???
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <ac.2c129dac.2a92c203@aol.com>
In a message dated 8/19/02 3:18:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, =
zus888@netzero.net writes:
> Last night, I cleaned Bug=E2=80=99s ears and they were gross so I put the=
ear =
cleaner =
> directly into the ear. He was very upset and was whining again. After I=
=
put =
> him down, he began running around, shaking his head, lying flat, only to =
=
> start running around again like he was running from something. It was =
> obvious (from the head shaking) that his ear was bothering him. =
Additionally,
> he was panting (like the laughing wound they sometimes make). Oddly, =
though,
> the panting would continue when he was picked up by one of us. I called=
a =
> ferret friend at my husband=E2=80=99s insistence, and she suggested that =
Bug was =
just =
> mad at me. The behavior continued and my concern grew. When I picked hi=
m =
up,
> I noticed that his paw pads were dark pink and HOT! His nose was dry an=
d =
> hot. He seemed to be burning up. I gave him a warm bath to cool him dow=
n =
a =
> bit. I didn=E2=80=99t want to give him a cool bath because I didn=E2=80=99=
t want to shock =
> him. I figured the drying off process would cool him off since we had th=
e =
> air conditioning on. We ended up giving him some liquid benedryl. He wa=
s =
> still hot, =
Suzanna
I'm not a vet - but its possible that he doesn't have mites, but a yeast =
infection....the best thing to do for poor Bug is to have him looked at by =
a =
vet - they can examine the ear wax for mites, etc...I made the mistake once=
=
by treating a ferret prior to a vet visit with amoxi - it turned out that h=
e =
did have a yeast infection and the antibiotics were making it worse! I can'=
t =
tell you how bad that I felt when the vet told me that.....I made an =
assumption and my ferret did suffer a bit for it. That is my guilt.
My rule of thumb anymore is to whenever possible, have the ferret seen by a=
=
vet. They have equipment, knowledge and resources that most of us can only =
=
dream of.
Bug will feel so much better with some diagnostics on that ear and =
treatment.....Good luck!
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.or