From:
cjack80210@yahoo.com
Date: 2003-01-11 00:15:27 UTC
Subject: Sick ferret...any help or advice?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <21926068.1042244127424.JavaMail.root@scandium>
I have a ferret (Harvey) who's around 5 years old (not sure since he was adopted). He has been happy and healthy until recently. About 6 weeks ago he developed diarrhea and it has not let up since. Also, we noticed a small tumor developing behind his ear. We went to the vet had him checked out. Nothing was found from the physical exam and his fecal samples were normal. We were given Amoxi-drops (although no overgrowth of bacteria was present in the stool) and told to try them for a week. We also gave him pepto-bismal per the vets instructions. He seemed skinny to me but he weighed about the same as the last visit.
After about 3 weeks of Pepto and 8 days of the amoxidrops, we took him back and he had lost around 20% (960g to 740g)of his bodyweight from the previous visit. He has been eating, drinking and playing with his other mate (who is healthy) but he is shrinking away. The vet did another exam, checked stool (both fine), and then he suggested x-rays and he lanced the tumor to get a sample of it analyzed. X-rays didn't show any speading cancer or show anything out of the ordinary, enlarged, broken or blocked and the sample indicated a mast cell tumor.
There has been no change in environment, food, home, etc. His hair has fallen out a bit more than normal but just like our other ferret, he fluffs up for the winter. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. The vet has no solution and I don't either. From research I have done, mast cells don't appear to be too bad (don't spread, normally...???). I Did read about ECE and inflammatory bowel syndrome (what are the indicators of this through blood work?). I have not had blood work done yet which I plan tomorrow. After reading a previous message about a vet killing a ferret after taking blood, I would like to know the correct way to do it...THANKS. (Sorry to hear that Kraus)
End of ferrethealth Digest
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