From:
jennandannika@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-02-14 02:18:55 UTC
Subject: Annika
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4951530.1076725135487.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Hello,
Sorry I didn't realise how vague I was in my previous message.
I knew Annika was dehydrated when her skin tented, and she didnot seem to have had any of the water available to her.
She eats Chicken and broth baby food in a 50-50 mix with Vanilla ensure. Usually she eats on her own out of a bowl, she will still do this but is only eating small amounts, if I feed her she is eating between 15 and 20 cc's a feeding, happily! She is drinking but not much in my opinion,but her skin is no longer tenting, nor is she showing any of the other signs of dehydration any more. I have and will continue to monitor for signs of dehydration. Last urine was clear, not the bright yellow of dehydration.
Her breathing: she is not panting, and over the last day or so it has returned to normal. She seemed to be taking frequent breathes, but I must admit that I really never watched her breathe that much before this started.
Her front limbs seem to be the affectd ones because of the way she is walking and falling over. Since becoming rehydrated this "wobbliness" has lessoned. But she will push herself with her back legs even after she has tucked her front legs under her body.
The urine on her seemed to happen when she lost her balance and her front legs went out on her and she fell on the wet papertowel. I washed her off this morning and so far there are no new signs of urine on her fur, which might have something to do with her increased balance.
I was so worried about her walking that I forgot to check her poops. I noticed late last night when she passed a particularly large poop that is was very dark in colour. This morning it was the same thing. Black Tarry stools.
Her ulcer was caused by stress last time. I made the error of going on holiday without her, she stopped eating wasted away to about 380 grams and developed mucusy tarry black stools. She was put on flagyl and clavamox and pepcid, but developed some seriousl neurological side-effects from the flagyl, so she was switched (after being taken off all drugs and having the symptoms return) to Biaxin and Pepto Bismulth (which she actually loves the taste of) which finally seemed to "cure" the ulcer.
I spoke to the vet here, he said to treat it like the ulcer had returned, because that is what it sounds like. She is getting Biaxin alone this time though. My mother mentioned to me (as Ani and I lived with her and my father when she had the first ulcer) that before she started treatment she was very wobbly and peed on herself during her ulcer attack.
New stresses. The only thing I can think of is that my best friend just adopted two dogs from the SPCA and I have been walking with her and the dogs every day and Annika does have a jealous streak about a mile wide. So it could be that I am comming home smelling of dog, when I never used to smell like other animals? I don't know whether that could be a serious stressor or not.
I hope this helps. Thank you again for all your responses. I promise to keep you posted.
Jenn