From:
sprinklostardust@aol.com
Date: 2003-04-17 07:01:57 UTC
Subject: New to the Group
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <29530962.1050562917671.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Hi! My name is Hilary and I own three ferrets. I am a fairly new ferret ow=
ner, being I just rescued my first about 6 months ago. Two months later I =
rescued my second...I just took in my third this past weekend. Seems like t=
here's a pattern there! I am a Veterinary Technician, but at the animal ho=
spital I work at, we do not see ferrets often, and if we do, it's usually f=
or routine check ups or for glucose problems. Last night, my 6 month old f=
emale ferret became very ill. She was vey listless and was coughing and sn=
eezing. I had to take her to the emergency vet where I work because it was=
midnight! The doctor told me that there was nothing wrong with her. I wa=
s very upset because her temperature was 105.2. He completely brushed me o=
ff and sent us home. I stayed up with her all night not knowing what to do=
. I was just holding her and she was completely listless and non responsiv=
e. A few times I thought she was dead. This morning her and my 8 month ol=
d male were just soooo sick. I quickly made an appointment with my regular=
vet and took them there immediately. They received chest x-rays and fluid=
s. Emmie, my female's temp was over 105, Fivel the male, was normal. The =
vet said they had a little fluid in their lungs and told me everything I ne=
eded to do an gave an antibiotic. Now, at 3am, I have spent over twenty fo=
ur hours constantly monitoring them, keeping them by the humidifier, giving=
Sub Q fluids and meds and they are finally seeming soooo much better. My =
new ferret is fine, but I believe that she has to be the culprit. The vet =
says she is probably a carrier. I don't know a whole lot about these littl=
e guys, I just know things by owning and reading constantly about them. So=
rry this is so long, just so worried about them. Will this illness cause h=
ealth problems later in life? Will they recover and be just like before? N=
ow that they are on the antibiotic I have completely disinfected their cage=
, toys, bowls, and everything else that they use. Is there anything else I=
can do to keep this illness from coming back or getting worse?
Thanks so much! =
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