From:
ac489@juno.com
Date: 2004-09-01 18:53:53 UTC
Subject: Stinky
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
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.
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