From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2003-07-11 03:31:46 UTC
Subject: Chiclet's new meds for her infection
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com, ferret-list@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Message-id: <a06001800bb33db0c272f@[10.0.1.30]>
Okay here is the latest approach ebing tried for Chiclet.
There is also something that can kill fungus infections just in case
that is the cause rather than bacterial, but we have to pick up that
prescription tomorrow so I don't know the name or how often a day
that is. Hey, it's kind of an anything-but-the-kitchen-sink
situation and our vet and consultants are excellent.
This is her 6th week of this thing, BTW. Pretty good when you
consider how rapidly all the other few individuals died. (This
thing is rare if this handful of indviduals have/had the same thing
and no households with it have any other ferrets, other critters, or
humans ill so it is NOT easy to get -- so maybe something carried by
an insect or something.)
She is off IV now but having sub-cu three times a day and some of her
meds are given through the port of that while some are oral. She has
a special cream that reduces skin sensitivity which is used a few
minutes before the sub-cu to make it more comfy for her and it really
helps a lot. Three times a day she gets Buprenex (the Rimadyl Ulrike
mentioned for keeping down fevers and controlling pain is the
alternative if this doesn't work but it was felt that this would mesh
better with her other meds. Our vet says thanks you for letting us
know that is so effective for controlling high fevers in ferrets!
Amazing the things one can learn from around the world over the
internet when there is need...). Carafate is at least 3 times a day.
Pepcid is twice a day. Her experimental stuff is twice a day,
Cloramphenicol is twice a day so we know have special precautions
since that can cause aplastic anemia in some people. Biaxin is twice
a day. I think that's it. So, we have a new chart all worked up and
attached to the front of her cage.
She wil have to be weighed once a day, and temp twice a day unless it
goes way off again in either direction.
Think we're getting pretty used to this? (Imagine a weird
semi-ironic, tired smile.)
Tonight we begin to try to adjust to new sleep schedules for the meds.
She's come close to dying several times over with this, but she isn't
interested in giving up, so we aren't either.