From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2005-04-27 23:06:27 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: What to give for diarrhea?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20050427230628.99698.qmail@web50809.mail.yahoo.com>
--- sukiec@optonline.net wrote:
> Barb, Bailey is a ferret who has multiple health
> problems. Whatever your vet was giving was probably
> chosen specifically to meet the needs of those
> health problems. The pick stuff might be
> antibiotics IF his problem is from mild IBD, or
> might be something else for any of a number of
> possible causes od diarrhea.
>
> My suggestion, rather than risking using something
> which might conflict with any of his 3 problems, is
> for you to call your vet and to ask the treating vet
> the same question. Also, do not stop a medication
> without vet approval since there can be risks to
> doing that.
I am going to break the rules and quote all of the
above because it is so very important. I read the
original post and honestly did a double take. If you
have a reason to second guess your vet about
medication, and there are certainly times where that
might be appropriate, the only way I'd actually change
is with a second opinion from another qualified vet.
That certainly won't save you money.
Ferret medicine almost seems like an arcane art when
you get to geriatric ferrets or ferrets with multiple
problems. Vets do an amazing juggling act that allows
us to have ferrets with multiple normally fatal
conditions live on and not know anything is wrong with
them.
Our Pertwee had both adrenal glands out, was
completely non-responsive to prednisone/prednisolone
which is usually one of the meds used to replace
adrenal products, he also lost a kidney to unilateral
polycystic disease (the first such documented case),
and later developed chronic pancreatitis. For three
years he lived with all of those conditioons and
didn't know anything was wrong with him. The catch:
to keep him happy and healthy required quarterly blood
work and a cocktail of rather expensive medications.
It cost us $100 per month on average every month for
three years. Had we done it any differently it is
very unlikely he would have lived.
Our Podo was another example. He was pushing 10 and
had cardiomyopathy, insulinoma, a recurrence of
adrenal disease, a somewhat sensitive digestive
system, and an odd growth on one ear. We managed to
keep him happy up to a couple of days before he died.
His monthly lupron depot shots insured that his
maintenance cost was at least as high as Pertwee's was
for the last several months of his life.
In each case those expensive meds gave me a happy
ferret who felt good and was his normal playful,
affectionate self.
Ferrets are VERY high maintenance pets. There is no
way around that.
Oh, and for the record, three surgeries, two
ultrasounds, an Addisonian Crisis, various tests, and
all those meds later Pertwee cost me almost $8,000 in
his lifetime. That's as much as all my other ferrets
over the years all put together. I still wouldn't
have traded my time with Pertwee for anything.
All the best,
Caity and the fantastic five
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