Message Number: SG10395 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: ac489@juno.com
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:53:53 +0100 (BST)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: Stinky
Message-ID: <2261867.1094064833784.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
We were given a ferret about a month ago and named it stinky. We were told =
that stinky was born in February of last year so she is about a yearand a h=
alf. The people that gave her to us said that they got her when she was eig=
ht weeks old and didn't have the time to keep her anymore. Stinky was very =
active and cheerful and a very neat personality. About two weeks ago she ju=
st started like she had no energy and just wanted to lay down and didn't wa=
nt to play or move around. She got a runny nose and
runny eyes so I stated to look up information about ferrets on the internet=
. I had gotten some books at the library about ferrets when we first got he=
r because we have never had a ferret. She was pooping and peeing fine and l=
ooked normal and by the symptoms, we figured she had a cold and would get b=
etter soon but after a week and she was the same and was feeling very warm =
at times. I took her to a veterinarian (last Monday)and
they took her temperature first. Stinky's temperature was over one hundred =
and six. Her white blood count was high. The vereinarian gave her a shot to=
bring the fever down and a shot of fluids there and said it could be upper=
respiratory. I was given an antibiotic(clavanox) to take home and give Sti=
nky for ten days half an ml. twice a day(stinky weighed one and a half poun=
ds). After about two or three days stinky's fever went
away but I noticed that day she was pooping very dark and when I talked to =
the vet we figured it was the antibiotic causing it and her runny nose and =
eyes got better by Friday. Someone told me to give her a hairball remedy in=
case it was a blockage, so I did and she started pooping normal again.She =
looked like she was feeling better and her fur was getting shiny again but =
still no energy, she just wanted to lay down. Her runny nose and eyes come =
and go but is less and always clear. She has been eating fine all along unt=
ill about Thursday she seemed like she had a
sore throat and not eating very much so I got some chicken baby food and ma=
de her some duck soup and she has been eating very good through a syringe. =
I noticed yesterday she started pooping very dark and sometimes black and g=
etting very loose and I had her on a paper towel when she urinated and the =
color was a lime green,I'm not sure what to do now.Today, she is pooping no=
rmal color but still loose and sometimes mucus in it. The veterinarian was =
very expensive and I can not afford to take her again right now, but I am v=
ery concerned about Stinky. The veterinarian and I talked about distempter =
and I have read about it on the internet but she doesn't seem to have the s=
ymptoms and the drainage is clear but she still just lays there with no ene=
rgy. We have a small dog that stays in the house and several cats (two thre=
e month olds in the house and four cats that stay outside).We also have bi=
rds, two hamsters, and some fish in the house. My fifteen year old daughter=
volunteers at the animal shelter in town.I read that a person can bring di=
seases in on clothes and shoes. I called the people that gave her to us and=
was told that they had not gotten shots and they were not sure if they had=
been given before they bought Stinky. Stinky has the little dot tatoos on =
her ear so the Vet said that that meant she had been fixed so I figure she =
must have had shots before these other people bought her. I'm not sure what=
to do. We thought that maybe Stinky had gotten the flu and went into pnuem=
onia and is just taking a long time to recuperate the way a person does som=
etimes but I wanted to write and ask your opinion. I really apprciate any h=
elp I can get about this. Thank You very much. Alma.
=
=
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.