From:
Melissa
Date: 2002-02-17 18:35:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] VET RESPONSE PLEASE-Ferret:
diaherra, mucus in poop, sometimes blood, nauseas, doesn't want to
eat, gagging on medicine
I don't know what might be wrong, but you've got to
get him to eat. Try *plain* gerber's chicken, or if
he's had that before, try turkey. You are going to
have to be pretty patient - try small amounts every
hour, warm the food, and let him eat it off your
finger so he doesn't react to the dish/syringe. If
that doesn't work, you might need to give carafate
before meals to help with the nausea. You may also
need to take him in to the vet - maybe even daily -
for fluid injections. When they have these crappy
stomach/intestinal things, they often perk up when
kept very hydrated. You've got to really, really baby
him and take it slow. The last thing I would suggest
is a blood glucose test - -low BG causes nausea, and
may indicate insulinoma.
It's hard to do, but really good nursing care may be
all that's needed. I've been there- with Mishka, it
was baby food every 4 hours, 24 hours a day, for 3
weeks, then every 6 hours for about 6 weeks. He
didn't eat one piece of kibble for about 2 months, but
has recovered pretty well. I'm still on baby food
every 12 hours for him, though.
Best of luck
Melissa
--- Lynn Siegel <gypsi@a...> wrote:
> I posted awhile ago about this ferret & didn't
> receive a vet response &
> don't know what to do for him.
>
> He has seen a few vets here. He had surgery,
> (unnecessary) & nothing was
> found to be wrong inside. He had severe gingivitis
> & ulcers on his gums
> which was why we thought he had stopped eating in
> the first place, found
> after a 3rd vet exam. He was on Clavamox to clear
> up the infection so he
> could have his teeth cleaned & dental work done. He
> just had his teeth
> cleaned & one removed. The day after that he did
> eat dry food on his own.
> If he has done it since then I haven't seen him.
> Once in a while he will
> eat duck soup on his own, most of the time he has to
> be syringe fed. One
> day he is up & the next few down.
>
> Yesterday when I gave the others their chicken I put
> him by it & he sniffed
> it & ran away. I watched him & he started heaving,
> like he was very nauseas
> & wanted to throw up, but didn't. Although on other
> occasions he has thrown
> up. When he is picked up as in transfer from cage
> to floor he immediately
> has to go to a litter box where he squeezes out a
> little bit of poop that
> almost always has mucus in it. He also has to use
> the litter box right
> after being fed. He never poops much at all but
> surgery didn't find any
> blockage.
>
> He was put on Metronidazole 250mg. I have mixed it
> with everything I can
> think of & nothing helps. He foams at the mouth for
> Pred which he is
> getting for his Insulinoma, I have tried peach
> juice to help with the
> nausea, that isn't too bad but mixed with the
> medicine he foams & gags. I
> have tried mixing in his duck soup & no go there
> either, it is only turning
> him off his food. He use to like Ferretone & now
> foams & gags at it & won't
> take it voluntarily. It is such a fight to just get
> him to eat I am afraid
> if I keep trying to give him the medicine he won't
> touch anything. It has
> turned into a Catch 22 with him. The vet says the
> medicine is the only
> thing to combat whatever bacteria he has in his
> intestines, which she
> believes is causing the poo problem. He has been
> checked several times for
> parasites & is negative. Last fecal check didn't
> turn up anything bad.
>
> The vet used a pill popper to get the pill down him
> but she put it way down
> his throat. The pill is broken into either 1/4ths
> or 1/2 & it looks large
> enough that if I tried to use a pill popper I am
> afraid it will get caught
> in his wind pipe or something & then everything will
> be worse.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing the
> problems? Anything
> else to test for? A good way to get the medicine in
> him? Another medicine?
> Anything that could be injected that might help? At
> this point he is afraid
> to ever try the food from the syringe or dish
> because he thinks there is
> going to be medicine in it. Last night I found a
> pool of what I at first
> thought was diaherra, but now think might have been
> vomit, that was bloody &
> mucus. I think it came from him.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Lynn
>
>
>
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
http://sports.yahoo.com