From:
motorcityferrets@hotmail.com
Date: 2006-05-10 18:31:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: ferret after an accident-what to do?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Hi Dorota.
From what you have described, the ferret not seeming to notice that he's going
potty, it sounds simliar to a condition my Bridgette had. Bridgette suffered a back
injury at some point (prior to coming to my shelter) and we could see from the xray
that the injury was in the area where the nerves that control the bladder and bowel
should be. From there our vet speculated that she had some nerve damage, so the
signals probably weren't going from the brain to where they needed to in order to
alert her to the fact that she needed to go!
Bridgette's legs didn't work correctly, but of course she didn't care. :) She also
didn't urinate until her bladder was overly full, so I would gently squeeze her a few
times per day (worked wonderfully). She would poop as often as a normal ferret,
but she clearly didn't get the signal. She would often look at her rear end while
pooping like "Oh, I'm pooping." She would then crawl away from the poop for a new
place to sleep, keeping herself tidy. She also got into the habit of sleeping with her
butt outside the blanket or sleep sack so as not to end up sleeping in her poop.
It sounds to me - and of course I'm guessing - that you almost have the ferret
trained to go when you're around, like more of an activity than a need. I wonder if
squeezing his bladder would help keep him from leaving urine all over the house?
The bladder is immediately beneath the front end of the penis. When full, you can
feel it - about the size of a golf ball. I might try holding him over the sink and
gently squeezing on either side of the bladder to see if you can get him to go, which
might mean you can have him going on schedule instead of all over. If you're
unsure about squeezing his bladder, perhaps your vet could help out by giving a try
and then showing you exactly where the bladder is and how to squeeze? Of course
poops are more easily picked up if dropped while he's out for playtime, so I would
think you'll be following him around with tissue for the duration. :)
Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job with this little fellow. And surely he
appreciates having a life, instead of being stuck in a dark bathroom! I think this
fellow will demand more patience right off the bat, but with enough towels and
techniques you may be able to manage his disability so that you're both more
comfortable. Good luck with him!
Nanci
Motor City Ferrets
[Moderator's Note: have the vet teach how and when to *safely* express the
bladder, and when to not do so, to avoid the risk of rupturing it.]
====================================================================<<<
Whatever you Wanadoo, click below:
http://ads.smartgroups.com/adclick/CID=000000b7c79a99a500000000
====================================================================>>>
--
If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a vote
visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
To leave the group, email: ferrethealth-unsubscribe@smartgroups.com
Report abuse http://www.smartgroups.com/text/abusereport.cfm?gid%3D1423922&mid%3D17324