From:
sukieferret
Date: 2002-05-07 09:36:00 UTC
Subject: Re: fasting; emotions running high
Emotions are running very high on this issue, and, as one of the
6 co-moderators, I have had to reject some posts that fought
more than adding information.
We aren't here to be combative, please.
Re: sugar levels: YES, it certainly makes complete sense to do
blood work before surgeries and this is one of the reasons.
What is done around here for such ferrets is that they get a short
fast at home then as soon as they into the hospital they are
given an IV during further fasting so that the GI tract can be as
empty as possible without blood sugar levels dropping to a
dangerous point.
Re: two reasons to empty the GI tract:
1. Food in the stomach can be regurgitated and inhaled during
anesthesia and if that happens death, or serious damage or
disease can occur.
2. Even a tiny item left in the intestines can cause extreme pain
from gas build-up if an inidividual has had abdominal surgery.
In most ferrets the stomach will be empty in only a few hours, but
there can be abberations as multiple people have pointed out
and these require longer fasts. An enlarged stomach is one
such reason. Our Scooter is like that and he requires a long fast
while others don't.
It is very common for animal hospitals to have only one set of
fasting directions for small animals, and way too common for
receptionists to not know of variations, so when in doubt ask the
treating vet to see if there is a reason or if the receptionist just
didn't know specifics for ferrets. It sure would help if hospitals
would have a few lines added to their surgical prep hand-outs
that mentioned fasting times for a range of animals.
A healthy animal can undergo a fast safely. Many (many, many)
years ago I contracted a mild case of Weil's Disease (no
damage from it, just very ill). The only way to stop the very rapid
transit time was for me to go on a physician-ordered fast for a
number of days. (Think it was something like 5 to 7 days.) It
worked.
It is true that in the wild nothing has food always available; it is
also true that some individuals need to have food avialable and
it't essential to know who those individuals are; testing is the
way to find out about that and other special needs before surgery
is done.
If it sounds like I am saying that everyone has been right for
specifc individuals and situations, good, because that it just
what I am saying. There is a lot of variation depending on the
individual and the individual case.
Your vet will mention a time after surgery during which food is
withheld. This is to give the GI tract time for peristalsis to begin
again. If food is given too early it can be very painful for the
ferret. There are back posts on this topic, too, from vets, so you
can use the search engine to find them in the archives at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list
I am sure that folks have more to add to this discussion; just
keep it friendly and informative rather than fighting, please.
I am not a vet.