From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-04-28 20:51:12 UTC
Subject: RE: What to give for diarrhea?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <318267.1114721472894.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/drugs.asp
If this is the same as is sold on several sites found in a Google search then it is an inexpensive medication. Is it possible that the office personnel entered the wrong medication code on your bill causing you to be accidently overcharged, or that you were reading the wrong row and something else was expensive?
It sounds like it is combination of kaolin and pectin, while I think Kaopectate might have additional ingredients.
http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/toxchick/medpharm/medpharm42.html
tells a bit about how they work.
Given the serious nature of multiple health problems this ferret has I'd be strongly inclined to first ask the vet. That is something which should be done, anyway, before an over the counter medication is tried -- especially given the sad sporadic history of accidental poisonings that get reported, but it is even more important when there are existing health concerns.
Kaolin is a type of clay.
Pectin is a gelling agent from fruit.
It sounds like Kaolin itself without added ingredients is an over the counter product so you may want to see if your pharmacy has that SAME thing (rather than meds with added ingredients) but DO call up your animal hospital and ask for a call back from your vet to find out if you can do this safely first. It is very common to want or not mind a bit of dehydration going into surgery, but it is also not unusual to prefer not having waste in the intestines with abdominal surgery because that can sometimes cause painful gas problems.