From:
Sole
Date: 2002-03-03 18:01:00 UTC
Subject: Respiratory problems
Hi. Thanks for the answers to my previous messages
I got a new question for all of you.
Ringo, my 8 month old ferret (he went trough a dental cleaning
last month) is making these strange noises. I bought him last
December and since, I think, January he's sneezing a lot (5 to
10 sneezes in a role) specially when he wakes up or when he is
investigating the corners. This happens everyday. And also
everyday he makes a noise that is very strange and I can't
even describe it. it's like he's choking, a heavy breathing
with his chest moving a lot. it sounds like a congestion. This
happens a couple of times a day and it lasts five or six
seconds everytime. I talked on the phone with my vet, but he
said if there are no changes in his normal behaviour, is not
something to worry about. But I'll take Ringo to the vet
tomorrow anyway.
He is normal in everything but this sneezing and heavy
breathing. His stools and urine are normal, he eats and
drinks, plays normally. His nose is a little runny and he
licks it a lot. I think this can be a sign of excess of nasal
secretion. When he sneezes, sometimes comes from his nose a
white or transparent secretion. I don't know if this is
normal.
When the snnezing and heavy breathing stops, he returns to his
normal activities
I live in an apartment and it's all carpeted. Can this be the
problem? The carpet has a lot of loose fibres. I try to keep
the carpet clean with the vacuum cleaner, but I can't do more
about it. And there's a lot of dust in the air here. it's just
the way the city is.
Tomorrow I'll be seeing the vet, but I'd like to read some of
your opinions as well. Here in Chile, ferrets are rather new
and the vets that know about ferrets are young and though they
really care about learning, I think experience is a very
important thing. So I want to complement his knowledge with
yours. And learn a little bit more myself.
Thanks in advice
Sole & Ringo