From:
Roger Vaughn
Date: 2002-01-02 16:14:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Vicky :-)
Congratulations! I'm happy Vicky is recovering! This is a totally
uninformed opinion, of course, but it doesn't sounds like her body is
destroying her blood cells. The bloody stools tell you it was GI
bleeding of some sort. These critters drop their blood counts
amazingly fast - even fleas can cause anemia in them.
That's a lot of stuff in that Gaviscon - in my unprofessional opinion I
wouldn't tempt the fates with it. (Sodium saccharin? Really!) Pepto
Bismol, Zantac and Pepcid AC have been given to them before. In this
case I might go for the Pepto - yes, they hate it, but you really just
want to soothe her stomach. Her acid production - which Zantac and
Pepcid control - may not be a problem. Ask your vet about sucralfate
or another similar stomach soother instead of the Pepto, too. I don't
understand your vet's reluctance. Calming her stomach won't hurt. It
might not cure the underlying problem, but it should at least make her
more comfortable. But definitely keep looking (or have her human keep
looking) for the original cause of the ulcers.
Watch her stools carefully for a relapse. It's possible that the
ulcers - or whatever it was - could start bleeding again.
Soft "rescue" foods may be a good idea for a bit, to keep from
irritating her stomach. The tooth grinding is a definitely sign of
pain.
Once again, I'm not a vet. All of this is offered as my unprofessional
opinion.
Roger
Digger and Bear
> Hi
>
> Vicky really went downhill over night, she had her last meal at
> midnight, I managed to get her to eat some Hills A/D. Then I
> tried to feed again at 1.00 but she didn't want to eat. Next
>....