From:
katharine@nettally.com
Date: 2004-06-30 12:42:11 UTC
Subject: Mega-E
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6032517.1088599331729.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I have recently acquired a little girl who has now been diagnosed with Megaesophagus, from x-rays and a barium series. My vet has never treated it in ferrets and it's a new one for me also. He is consulting with a couple of well-known ferret vets.
I have only had her since Monday night. Apparently, according to the former owner, she has had this condition for 2+ months, with no supportive or vet care. So far, we have her on Clavamox for suspected aspiration pneumonia, Reglan (switiching to Zanax after reading some FHL posts and other sources), and carafate prior to feeding (tarry stools, but improving). My vet is consulting about one other drug that is used with dogs but I can't remember the name of it.
I'm doing the upright feeding, very slowly, making sure she swallows, slow, slow, slow.................
She is throwing up some but not whole lot. I think she is getting the majority of her feedings. She has been raised on cat food for 4 years, so I put some canned Iams kitten food in the cage, elevated of course. I removed the water bowl and put a bottle, high enough where she has to stretch to use it. I can't see that she's drinking water but I have Pedialyte in her soup, and am giving her sub-q fluids twice a day. She spent yesterday at the vet on IV fluids all day.
We are considering a feeding tube. But, at this point, we are still determining whether she can be saved or not. It may be too late.
I read a couple of posts from the Archives about this condition but there doesn't seem to be too much information. There is also a great layperson's article at miamiferret.org, written by Carla Almarez. Any and all suggestions are welcomed, both for my vet and myself.