From:
sheryl81@aol.com
Date: 2003-08-08 17:54:03 UTC
Subject: 'Addiction' to soft foods and other
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1869057.1060365243595.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Hey there.
My ferret Lucy is a 1 and a half year old female, currently 2.5 pounds. Up=
until two months ago, she was in perfect health- good eating, drinking, po=
ops, and playing. Two months ago, based on thinning of the tail hair, I ha=
d a U Tenn panel run on her which came out positive. She had surgery in Ju=
ne. Immediately following the surgery, she starting pooping black tarry po=
ops. Back to the vet we went and he diagnosed ulcers. She was put on Clav=
amox and Amoxy, plus Carafate for 3 weeks. Her poops were slightly better =
but still dark so we changed the antibiotics to Flagyl and Biaxin, plus Car=
af. This whole time she had been eating chicken or turkey baby food. Dry =
kibble has always been available to her but she hasn't been interested, no =
matter how long I went between soft food feedings (I've gone up to 12 hours=
). Vet said to get her off the baby food immediately, so I switched slowly=
to ground kibble and water. She had been making a lot of progress, about =
a week ago she even ate a couple pieces of kibble if you would carefully pl=
ace them in her mouth. However Tuesday night about 20 minutes after a feed=
ing she started vomitting undigested food and this lasted about 20 minutes,=
about 6 or 7 times. Off to the vet we go, the vet takes a total of 10 x-r=
ays, some with barium, and some with 'contrast'. He sees a small ring like=
shape in her stomach and is pretty sure it is a hairball. Mind you, this =
vet has done HUNDREDS of surgeries before, performs all medical procedures =
for a shelter, and I am told he is one of the best ferret surgeons in the s=
tate. He goes in to remove the hairball and nothing is there. He checked =
liver, kidneys, etc., no problems. All he noticed was inflammation in the =
stomach, and from the x-rays he noted that she seemed to have a little trou=
ble getting food out of her stomach into the intestines, oh and mucusy stoo=
ls. He took a biopsy, he admitted he really isn't sure why she is not eati=
ng as well as she should be.
She is back on Clavamox and Carafate now. It has been two days since the s=
urgery. He thought maybe helicobacter, but she was on meds for 6 WEEKS sin=
ce the previous adrenal surgery- wouldn't that have cleared helicobacter up=
?? =
I am really worried. I know the biopsy will be in and hopefully will give =
me some answers, but I would like some idea of what I am dealing with here.=
Should I be scared she might die? Will she ever be back on kibble? =
By the way, since her surgery her poops have cleared up remarkably. I am g=
oing on vacation in about 2 and half weeks and I would like to take the bes=
t shot at getting her back on to kibble for her babysitter's sake. =
Thanks.
Cheryl Langfeld, NJ =
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