From:
"Kim"
Date: 2007-07-23 19:26:17 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: We're off to the vet's Monday Morning
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi All,
Well this is what happened at the Vet's:
Took all three kids. Although Fozzy has had normal poops since about
Friday evening. Faylene keeps going back and forth between normal and
smear. Both Fozzy and Faylene are eating and drinking normally
thorugh all this.
Josie was positively deflated, and saturday night looked almost dead.
But the dribbles of water from my mouth to hers at very frequent
intervals through sunday and this morning seemed to turn her around a
bit. Sunday afternoon she killed a mouse, chewed it but didn't eat
it. Flat out refused any offers of baby food, soup or meats of any
kind. I did manage to chew up some cooked CGH and hamburger and get a
few miniscule bits from my mouth to hers.
Gross? Maybe, but hey it works.
Fozzy still normal poops this am, Faylene back to smears, Josie too.
Took a smear and a normal poop with me to the vet's.
As expected Josie had lost considerable weight - in May she weighed
in at 730 grams, today she was 623 - more than 100 grams lost! They
gave her Sub Q fluids.
He didn't "culture" the poop smear, just looked for bacteria present
and reported while he didn't identify exactly the bacterium present
he said the smear showed only ONE bacterium, and not the normal
variety of bacterium. And this one bacterium were all RODS.
He stated that while he didn't identify the specific one, E.Coli were
of the rod variety. Of course he suspects the raw diet as a
contributor - I mentioned the poor quality of the prepackaged frozen
mice that Fozzy ate and this diarhhea thing started with him. The vet
kind of shrugged and said that we'll try a few things first to begin
to rule out other things.
He offered the possibility that it was just(?) proliferative
ulceritis from the stress of being introduced to the new ferrets and
having to share her home with them. I agreed she didn't take too
kindly to them being here, but had started to settle down the past
couple weeks. He said maybe because she was hurting a bit.
Gosh, has anyone else experienced such an internalization of stress
with new additions? Does this mean I should find an alternative home
for Fozzy and Faylene? Will they eventually get along well enough to
not cause this stress?
So he sent me home with an antibiotic - Chloramphenicol to give .355
ml twice a day, some Prescription A/D food and Carnivore care
mixture. As well as teeny syringes.
His most worrisome comment was, "Whether Josie makes it or not
through this will depend on how much food you can cram into her."
She's THAT seriously ill!
I stopped at the dairy queen on our way home and let her lap a bit of
plain vanilla from my mouth - figured at this point calories of any
sort will at least offer her some energy. SHe ingested probably about
a half teaspoon.
Getting home I got quite a bit more aggressive with my scruff hold to
where she cannot possibly wiggle her head. SHe hates me for this I
just know it. Using the teeny syringe they gave me helped
considerably because my larger syringe just wouldn't allow me to get
far enough to the back of her mouth.
She got a full dose of the antibiotic - which smells like cherry
medicine. Eww yuck - even I hate that flavor & smell!
Followed that with some water mouth dribbles.
Rinsed the syringe and loaded it with the chicken baby food and got a
full 1 ml down her gullet! She gagged and pushed my hands away, but I
persisted. Then more water dribbles and a cuddle and she went back to
snoozing.
Geez she's pathetic looking! Fur all bedraggled, flanks all ganted
in, weak and floppy, an occassional shiver. Now with better tools - I
can load her system with ammunition to kill this bug!
Enough of the gut wrenching sorrowful story. I'll call the vet back
to see if he cultured the bacteria to get a solid I.D.
If its an E.Coli - then I won't be surprised one bit if I end up sick
too - from giving Faylene & Josie water dribbles from my mouth. So -
I'll be reading up on human symptoms, incubation or transference too.
I've got to dose Faylene too. ANd I must say I am encouraged that
Fozzy fought it off with just normal food and water support - so
maybe it isn't the dreaded E.Coli afterall?
Now I've got to read up on "rod" bacterium.
Still gleaning experiences and suggestions from those with more
exposure & experience!
Regards, Kim
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