Message Number: SG8959 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Lynn Mac Farlane"
Date: 2004-05-28 16:04:56 UTC
Subject: Vets please take notice----Cody's pain when he pees
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <LPBBLMGAINDPLIFEALMAMENCGCAA.gypsi@atlantic.net>

while back I wrote in about Cody's very enlarged spleen & the pain he was
in. He did have it removed & came through the surgery better than the vet
thought he would. In fact he said later that he didn't really expect to him
to come through the surgery. One of the things that we thought was caused
by the spleen being so large was that Cody cried in his sleep, & when he
peed. It was thought that because his spleen was so big & pressing on his
other organs, that was causing pain when he moved & peed. Well his crying
didn't stop, not when he is sleeping, & especially when he pees.

The vet said that I shouldn't expect his recovery to be the same as any
other ferret having the spleen removed because he had to do so much inside
of him that his healing time would take a lot longer, weeks in fact. Well 2
weeks after his surgery I don't expect him to still be crying. His surgery
was actually on May 11th. He is more lethargic now than before he had the
spleen removed. He seems to be weak in the hind end, wobbly on his feet.
When he is out of his cage, he often won't go in the litter box, & when he
pees he isn't holding himself up over it. Naturally as a result he gets
himself full of pee. The only thing I could think of was that maybe he had
crystals or stones in his urine, which was causing pain. I used a syringe
to get some off the floor & sent it to the vet to be checked. The techs
said that it was normal, nothing in it. The vet said to give him 14 more
days & if he hasn't improved to bring him back in. I don't think he will
last 14 more days & even if he does why he should he have 14 more days of
pain?

The thing is that his pain has not stopped, it seems to be the same now as
it was before his surgery. In these weeks something should have gotten
better & now he seems weaker. He isn't getting better he is getting worse.
I believe the vet thinks that I am being an overly protective, worrisome mom
& that all is going normally with Cody in his recovery. I don't know what
else to do for Cody. I don't know what else would make him cry especially
when he pees & why he isn't holding himself up over it. He held himself up
better when he had that overly enlarged spleen.

What can be causing him to have so much pain that he cries when he pees &
also when he is sleeping. He seldom lays on his tummy & stays mostly on his
back. There have been days that when I put him in his cage he has stayed
exactly where I laid down for hours. He has even stayed there & peed all
over the bedding & laid in it. He has never done this before, something is
wrong & I don't know what to do to get the vet to find out what. I could go
storming in there demanding that he do something, but have no idea what he
should be looking for so hoping that at least one or more of the
veterinarians will be able to advise me as to what to ask Cody's doctor to
check for. Has anyone else had this happen to their ferrets or ferrets that
you vets have seen? Do you think it is normal recovery, especially since he
seems worse to me. I am around him 24/7 so now how he is. I know he isn't
getting better but worse. It is very hard to be here & listen to him moan &
cry & not be able to help him.

Lynn & Clan War Weasels