Message Number: SG9048 | New FHL Archives Search
From: julie_fossa@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-06-07 20:02:35 UTC
Subject: RE: Constant vomiting (post ECE hospitalization)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2874293.1086638555786.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

You don't mention her age, here. A couple of things come to mind. A hairball can allow some food to pass, but will cause a lot of pain, vomiting, and a stool that resembles a melted hershey kiss. (Sorry, folks) 1 ml of Pepto mixed with 1 ml whipping cream, drop at a time can ease the pain so you can get carafate or food into her. She needs surgery if it is a hairball, and the sooner the better. I've seen ferrets with their entire stomach filled with a hairball or multiple smaller ones, fusing together. Once that hairball is out, despite being severely weakened at the time of surgery, they recover fast.

The other thing I would question, would be MegaE. You might try thinning some Gerber chicken baby food to a thin consistancy and standing her on your lap or holding her in a vertical position, use a small medicine dropper or syringe to see if you can get any of this liquid preparation into her. Deliver it to the tip of her mouth.

If she is MegaE you should easily hear the food as it descends her esophagus. It will make gurgle and squirt sounds, and you may even be able to hear air escape her throat. It is more common in middle aged males, but has been known to occur in females.

Insulinoma can cause similar signs, so if you haven't checked her bg, consider having that done.

I have seen helicobacter cause similar symptoms. We often treat with Biaxin and Amoxi for helicobaacter, then if the ferret is still having trouble, look for a hairball.

Good luck,
Julie

Author wrote:
> Hi,
> This is a follow-on post to some of my earlier posts in the last month (ECE,'chomping'). After several weeks (3+) of Amoxidrops (50mg/15ml) @ 0.12cc 2x a day and Metronidazole (2+) (125mg/ml) @ 0.1cc 2x a day, our ferret is still not getting any better, and in fact is getting worse.
... She constantly vomits a mucousy, almost brown-like liquid and does nothing but sleep. She has also started to become very agressive towards the other ferrets we have (they have been seperated since she was sick, but this is the exact opposite of what she used to do).
>.
> --Dan