From:
tdsmc@yahoo.com
Date: 2005-01-26 00:44:54 UTC
Subject: RE: lethargic ferret... slower down more
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2230796.1106700294411.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I currently have 10 with a similar situation. One ferret started having diarrhea a few times a week in Oct and gradually worsened. Then more started so I took the worst one to the vet. Started on the Metron, Amoxi, and Pepto. After 3 days he seemed better and we started the rest. By day 7 he was right back. We did the whole separate thing, tried a sulfer drug, then chloromphenical, then added Amoxi back to that. They ranged back and forth from the watery stools, to grainy to birdseed.
Stool samples at vets office showed spore-forming bacteria but when we sent one off to a lab to narrow down exactly what, they showed nothing. One ferret got anemic, and one was doing terrible itching. They thought hers was a drug reaction and had told me the anemia could also be from so many antibiotics. I took it on myself to take them off all meds last Tuesday. The poops seem some better. Mine never got to feeling really bad. They have eaten the whole time and still play fine. I have always fed them Bob's chicken gravy twice a day. When they got diarrhea I immediately added pedialyte to the gravy, making it just plain watery and gave them a bowl of kibble with warm water added twice a day. I think this really helped keep the hydrated.
I am not a vet but all I can say is mine seem to be doing better off all meds. I give them their regular kibble and just do the extra feedings for hydration. I also give some Nutrical.
Try to get all the pedialyte you can. Have they suggested giving him fluids intravenous? Also I would give him what he will eat. It's not doing him any good if he refuses what's best for him.
good luck.
They all came w/ intermitent runny stools/diarrhea. Rudy had that, but mostly birdseed stools. All 3's energy level very good. Vet & shelter thought it was due to stress from a new environment, give it time.