Message Number: FHL2242 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "ncferretmom"
Date: 2007-08-21 19:17:26 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret with osteomyelitis. please help!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

Work with the vet you have if he is willing - you are training him and he w=
ill be a good vet
and a good ally in the future. One of my very favorite vets is a DOG specia=
list and he
performed surgery on my ferret for me. It was the only ferret surgery he ha=
d ever done
and I had more confidence in him than in some of the ferret "experts" I use=
d.

I can tell you that if your vet wants to talk to ANY of these vets, they ar=
e always very good
about offering their help. BUT, nobody will call your vet first. Your vet m=
ust make contact -
it is what is appropriate. I always offer to pay for calls when I need to h=
ave a consult. I
either use my cell phone and let the vets talk or I offer to pay them for t=
he phone call.

If the ulcers are continuing to grow, it may be because the bacteria are st=
ill active. Are they
growing SLOWER? Maybe it will be that they had such a head start they need =
to be caught.
Maybe the drugs are winning, but they are winning slowly. I don't think any=
one can know
but you and your vet.

The truth is - he might die. You see the ulcers growing - sometimes things =
continue to
grow until the drugs can catch up. The first thing is to stop it - and the =
IV may help. I do
not know - I am not a vet. I am just a hard-headed, hate to lose a battle s=
ingle mom! If
you are losing, you will know. But, stay positive. This little guy has figh=
t. If the time comes,
you will know. I refuse to give up until they do. But, when they say, no mo=
re, I respect that.
He is getting a lot of love, which is good.

Please keep us informed. I know it is hard to wait, but it may be what you =
have to do. He
needs to rest and to heal. I hope the IV works. You can get a lot more powe=
rful drugs in
that way than orally (I think!).

Oh, one last thing - to help you wait - draw out a timeline. Set dates and =
talk to the vet
and the pharmacist about what realistically to expect and when to expect it=
. Put goals on
it. This will help you see if the ulcers are slower growing, which may mean=
they are about
to improve, or if they are not.

Best,
renee :)
(The pig-headed one!)

--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "lumazzanti" <lumazzanti@...> wrote:
>
> Thank you!
> I know it=B4s a long way to go. But in two weeks we have not seen any
> reduction of the ulcers... they keep growing. That=B4s because the
> bacteria are not being killed, isn=B4t it?
> I=B4ll ask the vet today if they can give the drugs IV for about a week
> (as Dr. Williams said).
> Apart from giving the meds orally, we are also cleaning several times
> a day with sterile saline and after that applying the antibiotic
> locally on the wounds. The wounds are uncovered.=20
> We are doing the culture again today... but we did not stop the
> antibiotics. We are going the tell the lab which are the antibiotics
> he=B4s been taking for the last 2 weeks so they take it into account
> when doing the tests.=20
> I just don=B4t know what to do....I feel I=B4m loosing him slowly and
> can=B4t find the way to help him. I wish I was there in the U.S. and
> more knowledgeable vets could help me.=20
> I=B4m desperate. :(
> Luciana.
>





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