From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2003-01-07 03:26:27 UTC
Subject: Re: I thought she was dying* LONG but PLEASE read*
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <a05200f04ba3ff93d1965@[10.0.1.36]>
You liked that second vet and felt that the vet was knowledgeable.
Vets are as human as anyone else. Call the vet's hospital and leave
a brief description with the staff for a call back, then ask about
doing a CBC with blood chemistry, a blood glucose test, chest x-rays
and maybe fecal occult to start, asking also about possible
ultrasound. If you are given cause for immediate worry then call and
arrange to have an emergency appointment. You or others may feel
differently but that is what i would do. In case the nodes are up
for reasons other than fat have you considered the possibility --
combining iin the trouble breathing the chance of a lung infection?
While Pred is very right for some things it is very counter-indicated
for others so you need the tests to get a diagnosis.
We has a ferret once who was coughing somewhat one day and she never
coughed; she also took my big toe in her mouth and gently held it
which was something she did only when she hurt. At the vet's
(emergency visit) she showed no problem but we knew something was off
so the vet did a chest x-ray at our insistence. She turned out to
have severe pneumonia and pleurosy and was in real danger. Her
x-rays were so clouded that antibiotics were begun immediately and an
ultrasound done the next day. One reality of ferrets is that
sometimes they will show things to their families which they don't
show anyone else.