From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-07-14 17:06:24 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Bear - downhill again (heart? kidneys? sigh.)
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
It is much harder to deal with one who needs Lasix but has an extra strong response to it
and the paradoxical reaction of not drinking.
Options include asking the vet about alternative diuretics.
If the Lasix is it, then sub-cutaneous hydration once a day if needed, BUT you can first try
making food and fluids more interesting. That typically means providing flavored and
highly scented food and fluid which is heated so that more goes airborne, and then hand
feeding with a spoon, or dripping from a dropper directly in front of the ferret's face (Have
a bowl or a thick towel, or preferably both below. Some stinky options that we found
worked well: water with Nutrical in it, preferred meat baby foods watered down and
heated, and even stinkier doing that with a/d.
When the one we had who had a paradoxical thirst response got really bad her heart
diseases impinged on her esophagus (She was the one who was confused -- combined --
with others in what looks to be an editorial attempt at brevity which changed some things
but for the most part not enough to matter and mislabeled me as a breeder in the latest
edition of _Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery_.) It will surprise some people but in
addition to the foods already mentioned we found that Sustical and Ensure were well
accepted by her and gave her extra quality time with enough fluids. When between a rock
and a hard place seek a detour if you can for a while...
If I recall right she also did well with soft cooked eggs as part of her diet. Be warned that
they DO make feces more sulfurous and bright yellow.
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