From:
Kym Barone
Date: 2002-06-08 23:01:00 UTC
Subject: Ferrets Not Getting Better: Seek advice of Vets and
experienced others
I'm getting to the point with my Patches and L'il Grunt where
I am out of guesses.
Both ferrets went to the vet on 5/31 because they had similar
medical problems. Weight loss, some dehydration, lethargy,
diarhhea, etc. They were given a broad diagnosis of
bacterial/viral enteritis. Neither had bloodwork done as
symptoms were consistent with this. They were prescribed
Clavamox and carafate for 14 days and sent home. The vet
expected to see improvement in a few days.
L'il Grunt improved to the point where he started to eat
kibble again and had given me formed poops, but his energy
level is still down and he just isn't 'himself'. Patches
showed no improvement and she's the worst off of the two. Buy
Tuesday, 6/4 I went back to the vet and got Flagyl to put
Patches on, which I started that day. I put Grunt on it the
next day (at vet's approval) since he wasn't improving quite
as much as I hoped. Both are now on Clavamox 2x a day, Flagyl
1x daily, and Carafate.
Grunt has some weight on him so I think that's helping him,
plus, he is eating solid food. Patches however is literally
skin and bones. No fat, no muscle. Her attitude is good
(perky, gives kisses, bright eyed) but she is so weak she can
hardly walk sometimes. She will ONLY eat baby food which I mix
with Stat and Ferretone. Her poops are still diarhhea ranging
from brown to green. I give her fluids but they don't seem to
help much, though fortunately she's not horribly dehydrated.
I am feeding her aggressively, every 2 hours when I can (only
work and sleep stop that). She will take 6-9 ccs of food per
sitting before she's had enough. She eats willingly. But she
gains NO weight. She has a prolapsed rectum which presents
itself when she poops, then it goes back down a little while
later and looks pretty normal, until she poops again.
Tonight, L'il Grunt had diarhhea again, a lovely green, and
when I offered him some 'junk cat food' he promptly ran away
and started to vomit (but never did). So, I guess he's really
not all that better. He still acts weary, too. Bright eyed,
but doesn't run, play, etc.
I have searched everywhere for medical info that helps me with
this. I've read all about ECE, which it does not seem to be. I
searched everywhere for IBD information and have not found any
(I checked Dr. Williams' site, miamiferret, the FHL archives,
and a few others linked from this list). The closest I found
was the article on MiamiFerret about Eosinophilic Enteritis,
and that sounds similar to what we've got. Is there anywhere I
can read more about IBD? I don't have the Ferrets Magazine
article on it.
I've never dealt with anything like this - with any ferret
wasting I've ever cared for, aggressive treatment of sub-q
fluids, hand-feedings, and when prescribed, antibiotics, has
always helped... or, the ferret gets progressively worse and
has died. But in this case, I don't think I'm *losing* either
ferret, they both seem to be very stable, but yet very ill and
not *improving,* especially in Patches' case.
A few other related questions - I've read in a few places that
EE/IBD can be related to a food allergy. I have not changed
foods EXCEPT after these two got sick, I started to offer "Kit
- n - Kaboodle" crap cat food to stimulate interest in solid
food. But this change was only made AFTER they got sick (and
Patches is refusing it anyway). Prior to this they have eaten
the same food they always have. Could they have developed this
allergy to their normal food? Second question: it sounds as
though I will need to do a bowel biopsy on at least Patches,
if not both. At the risk of sounding ignorant, how is this
procedure done? It sounds awfully painful, and with Patches'
prolapse, is this a good idea??
My heart is breaking for my little 3/4 pound Patches and my
L'il Grunt. Please, any advice/suggestions/personal experience
is very much welcome.
Kym
Ferret Mommy to 20
L'il Grunt, Kerplunk, Mookie, Mikayla, Marty, Tanglefoot,
Tumbleweed, Corky, Tequila Sunrise, Squirt, Piggly Wiggly,
Trouble Too, Muse, Patchwork Princess, Boo, Homer, Connie,
Bonnie, Sallie, and Tangerine Twist
Meet the kids: http://www.ferretmommy.com