Message Number: YG10699 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukieferret
Date: 2002-02-03 18:40:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Firm Stomach

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., jerri carel <ferretmomjc@y...> wrote:
> one whose stomach is not the usual soft, chubby tummy - it's very
> firm. He feels like he's bloated or filled with gas.

If you lay him
on his back and gently pat the sides does it behave like a water balloon? If so, then it might possibly be ascites and your vet will look at his heart, kidneys and liver with things like x-rays, and blood tests, perhaps with ultrasound. There is a lot of information in past posts at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list that will teach you about these. There also is a lot at Bruce Williams' site on how liver tests can mislead at times and at the miamiferret site on cardiomyopathy. At the site I gave you can also go into the bookmarks section to find numerous sources of info, as well as in lists of resources in the Files section.