From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2005-08-11 18:00:52 UTC
Subject: Coughing
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20050811.140059.3548.42.kazpat1@juno.com>
I am thinking ( but may be wrong) a cough is a late sign of heart
disease,
once the heart fails to pump well and fluid accumulates around the lungs
causing some pulmonary edema.
Of course, this may be the first time an owner notices the ferret
is not well. They can be very good about masking their symptoms
until late in a disease.
There is a kind
of cardiomyopathy that does not have an enlarged heart
so can be missed on xray, with echo the way to be sure.
Whatever the reason, a ferret does not normally cough so best
to get to the bottom of it.
Patty
> My Buddy was diagnosed almost two years ago with a heart murmur and
> cardiomyopathy.
>
> Confirmed with x-ray, ultrasound, echocardiogram, and EKG.\
> I soon learned if he coughed, especially during the night, it was
> time to
> give an extra few doses of lasix, and add the nitro for a day or
> two. Just
> my experience with one ferret.
> Ardith
>