From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2003-05-04 23:30:18 UTC
Subject: Re: Very Sick Ferret
To: zephris1@yahoo.com, ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <a05210601badb4fae10cf@[10.0.1.6]>
Five in a ferret is young to die; it's middle aged, pretty much the
equivalent of a human being only 50. Yes, it can happen, as with
humans who die in their 50s but it is not the norm by any means, and
in this case with one dead and the other in such bad shape virtually
simultaneously the cause needs to be found -- and rapidly -- not only
for that one but for the others. Ferrets are more likely to pass
away in their 7th to 8th years.
Black stools indicate that there is bleeding up high enough in the GI
tract that it is being partly digested.
If you can't get through to that vet try another. Who has been their
vet till now? That person may be around. This ferret sounds quite
dehydrated, isn't eating or drinking enough, has some very worrisome
symptoms, etc. and needs vet care now.
You will find links to multiple listings of vets in the critical
references at http://www.ferretcongress.org
with all of them being different so check them out. There are also
vet hospital listings in the shelter list in the Reference Shelf that
is in the Files section of the FHL website.
Are these ferret up to date on their annual vaccinations? Is the
nose also crusty and how are the foot pads? Don't worry about
replying to those questions now; instead concentrate on finding a vet
with your phone calls and on getting care as rapidly as possible.
If this ferret dies before you reach a vet continue calling so that a
necropsy can be done and the remaining ferrets can be immediately
examined.