From:
motorcityferrets@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-03-04 05:58:26 UTC
Subject: can't urinate - urgent advice please
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2261297.1046757506979.JavaMail.root@scandium>
howdy group. ok, i've been lucky - or at least the adrenal ferrets i've had have been lucky in that few of the males have ever lost the ability to urinate due to prostate blockage. of the...oh...say 70 adrenal ferrets who've passed through these doors i know of only 3 who had this issue; two were on their last leg anyway and one was in his adopted home when his troubles began. he passed despite vet action; wasn't my vet so i'm not intimately familiar with what the vet tried.
the two i've had were days from the end anyway when it just so happened they lost the ability to urinate, so no remedy was pursued for either boy. tonight i have a ferret of unknown age/background (teeth say at least 5) other than adrenal symptoms since surrender in october. he's motoring around constantly trying to go, hunkering down with his front end only - the kind of hunker critters in pain will do, etc. no urine in at least 6 hours now...probably longer but i'm not certain.
i'm unclear about the use of lupron at this point. if he's completely blocked, can anything really help him? i mean, i know the bladder can be emptied manually, which might give the lupron time to turn off the hormones and let the swelling go down, but aren't the kidneys going to fail if the urine is simply backing up? my vet had occasion to try a urethra re-route a few months ago, but the decision was made for a critter who had comtinuing trouble urinating, he didn't lose the ability altogether. critter had been on lupron...i think for 6 months or so, when his troubles started. mom immediatley sought attention and they tried the re-route right away. but again, critter could still go...he wasn't completely blocked.
since i run a rescue sometimes the more radical remedies which carry large pricetags are out of the question, but i'd sure like to try with this boy. he's been vigorous and his troubles have definitely come on all at once. thx for any advice/experience anyone can offer!