Message Number: SG2794 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: Melissa
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 16:07:36 -0800 (PST)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: trouble pooping - more questions
Message-ID: <20030107000736.4607.qmail@web14408.mail.yahoo.com>
--- jo_jeynes@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> I also have a 7.5 yr old ferret
> (hob), who has an abdominal tumour, who is now also
> currently having trouble pooping. He is showing the
> same behaviour that yours is. He is not descented,
> and had very full anal glands, which my vet emptied,
> and this seemed to improve his comfort somewhat...
> but he is still producing very little in the way of
> poop/urine when he does actually go the loo...
For what it's worth (being one of the apparently small
number of US owners who have had to go through scent
gland impaction), I have a ferret who kept her anal
scent glands, and when they got impacted, I could tell
because she would lick the area repeatedly. We
expressed the glands every 1 -2 weeks for about six
weeks, and used antibiotics to guard against
infection. After 6 weeks, with little improvement,
the vets recommended removing her glands.
I was lucky enough to find a vet that specializes in
anal scent gland removal (in all kinds of animals, not
just ferrets) and the surgery went as well as it
could. You might want to have them check the scent
glands again to see if it's time to empty them again.
They can be pretty painful when impacted, and that may
be affecting the potty habits.
Best of luck
Melissa
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