From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2005-02-14 19:03:55 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Non-narcotic painkillers for ferrets with late stage lymphoma
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <58977.161.254.5.251.1108407835.squirrel@mail.seaconinc.com>
Caity,
Narcotics might be your best bet. Given ferrets' sensitivity to
non-steriodals (NSAIDs), you don't have a lot of other choices. Pain
management studies (admittedly, done on humans not ferrets) have found
that given at the appropriate doses, narcotics do a good job of
controlling pain *without* having a sedative effect. You get the
sedative side-effect when the dosage is too high.
Outside of narcotics, you might try carprofen, most easily available
as Rimadyl. It is an NSAID, but ferrets are able to tolerate it. The
biggest problem with it is cutting down a dog-sized dose into
ferret-sized doses. I have used it with mine and it seems to work
well.
I am not a vet.
roger