From:
mariansue32262@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-01-30 04:12:08 UTC
Subject: WE DESPERATELY NEED HELP
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6842898.1075435928652.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>
I am posting this to the FML and CarpetSharks (And now here). Please feel free to crosspost. We really need help. We are all stumped as to what is going on.
The beginning of December JoJo was close to 4 pounds. He lost a little bit of weight after we got two more ferrets but we attributed that to him getting some exercise. As of today, he weighs 1.9 pounds.
Friday, JoJo was up and completely normal.
Last Saturday when JoJo didn't come out of the cage with the other kids (I let him sleep a little longer) I finally woke him up to play. When I sat him on the floor (after waking him enough) he acted like he was dizzy, and started walking in circles. He was still eating and drinking and pooping. We ended up taking him to one of the vet hospitals here. The doctor ran blood work and kept him at the hospital overnight. Glucose levels were fine. The only thing wrong with his blood work was that his liver values were high. I've been told that is probably because he hasn't been eating as much. The X-rays came out fine too. When that doctor started talking about euthenizing, I pulled JoJo out of that hospital as fast as I could.
JoJo went to his dr. the next day. The dr. put JoJo on Prednisone (Pred Sod Pho 6.7/5mlliq) and something to settle his stomach (Metoclopram 5mg/5ml syp). JoJo was showing progress for a little while and he still does sometimes.
We had his urine checked today and it came out normal and the results of the ADV test were negative (YEAH!).
He is still eating and drinking but not nearly enough. I have begun force feeding. Yesterday he had bloody poops and was straining to pee. He isn't straining as much today.
He gets up to play but he is so wobbly that he can't do much. I even had to hold him up so he could use his box this morning. His head tilts and when he stands or tries to walk, sometimes he falls. (Mom says its his back end that falls.)
We have pretty much ruled out some sort of head trauma, Lymphoma, and Adrenal and stroke (the latter 3 because he's only 2 yrs). But we can't figure out what is going on.
Keep in mind that his spirits are VERY good. He wants attention and he wants to play. He just can't.
The dr. is planning to talk with his dr friends over the next couple of days to see if they have any ideas, but I wanted to post and see if ANYONE can help. PLEASE, I'm desperate.
Please feel free to privately e-mail me or post. ANY help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
MarianSue32262@yahoo.com
P.S.
I have altered this from my original post since I found out I can't mention drs. names.
There is no possibility of him getting into an anti-coagulant since there are none in the house.
To my knowledge they did not do an ultrasound at the hospital and I know the dr he's seeing now didn't do it.
Both drs. examined his ears and there is no sign of infection.
He has not yet been vaccinated for rabies. When we first found a vet here we were told it "wasn't necessary." He has had his distemper shot though (I believe it was in November.)
His poops aren't the same every time. They are very dark right now. Sometimes firm, sometimes runny. The dr. thinks it's because he hasn't been eating right (he would only eat cat treats for a couple of days). I have started feeding him kibble ground and mixed with warm water. He seems to be taking it okay so far. It's only been 2 feedings so far, so I can't tell if his poops have changed yet.
I do have him in a sick cage away from the other ferrets. I was afraid they would play too rough with him and make him worse.
I'm sorry if this seems all mixed up but I'm felling all mixed up right now. Hopefully you can make some sense of it.
Thank you!
Marian