Message Number: YG13441 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Ferret Wise Shelter
Date: 2002-06-01 14:24:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Help please - GI problem, possibly ECE??

>.Ubu has been losing
>weight over the past month while he has been shedding, from 3.3 lbs
>to 2.5 lbs. We took a trip out of town for 4 days and left our
>ferret with some friends who have two healthy ferrets (4 months and 1
>year). While we were gone Ubu started vomiting and threw up a 2
>inch, pinky finger size hairball. Our friends took Ubu to the vet
>and he received fluids for dehydration. He did well the following
>day and then became kind of lethargic and started to have diarrhea.
>It's been two days since the hairball came up and Ubu still has
>diarrhea and has not eaten his normal kibble since yesterday.


Please just BECAUSE Ubu managed to vomit one hairball do not feel there are
no more.

In fact we did 2 surgeries just this spring on 2 3-4 year old shelter
intakes. The result was they BOTH harbored 3 hairballs a piece. These
hairballs were very sizeable not just tiny ones either. The gut will expand
until it can no more about 2 1/2 times the normal size. It is possible that
another sizeable tricobezar (sp?) is lodged in the gut / pyloris. Please
consult your vet ASAP about barium xray or exploratory surgery. During
blockage incidents ferrets loose ground very fast.



Alicia, shelter mom
Ferret Wise
www.ferretwise.org
Attachment 16k (image/jpeg) Phoenix hairballs 4-30.JPG