From:
Tigger Too
Date: 2003-05-27 18:19:35 UTC
Subject: Very odd sickness... any ideas? Griselda
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20030527181935.53762.qmail@web40901.mail.yahoo.com>
Hi, All --
I joined this group quite awhile ago, but never
could get messages to come through on my end.
I've changed my settings, so hopefully that will
help. I could really use some advice /
suggestions.
I'm at the end of my rope, trying to figure out
what is wrong with Grselda, my two year old
spayed female ferret.
Ever since we left our four ferrets with a friend
of ours while we vacationed in early Feb.,
Griselda has been sick, off and on.
She was *never* sick a
day in her life prior to staying at my friend's
house. One other ferret came back with corneal
ulcers, and the other two ferrets have remained
healthy.
THE SYMPTOMS:
1. Diarrhea (tiny, gelatinous deposits, sometimes
green). Consistent
2. Facial and foot swellings. Always in different
locations. Off and on
3. Itching. Off and on
4. Red, irritated looking skin. Off and on
5. Vomiting (mostly dry heaves). Off and on
6. New symptom: chewing air, gnashing teeth
7. New symptom: has completely stopped eating on
her own, and drinks seldom... getting very bony
(we are feeding her baby food, which she takes
readily)
8. Mostly sleepy / lethargic, but sometimes plays
like nothing's wrong
So, Griselda has been sick off and on for four
months. She went to see my vet twice for the
problem, but the medication hasn't helped
(Neomycin/Pectin). The benadryl injection he gave
her gave her helped. We are dosing her with
pediatric benadryl for the swellings and itching,
with marginal success.
She suddenly got much worse in the last few days.
We are afraid we'll lose her if her don't get to
the bottom of this. I have read every medical
book on ferrets I can find, and the symptoms are
so disparate, they don't all add up to one thing.
We are wondering if our vet shouldn't try a stool
sample (parasite?) or take blood (diabetes?) or a
skin scraping (allergies?).
This is the strangest combination of symptoms I
have ever heard of. Nobody can seem to figure it
out.
Thanks,
Staci W.
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