From:
"jessicaanne917"
Date: 2007-11-29 16:16:40 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Looking for post surgical care tips
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
My not-quite-two-year-old MF female Rogue is scheduled for adrenal
surgery a week from today. Since Rogue and my 2.5 year old male Logan
are the first two ferrets I've ever had, I'm not especially familiar
with the details of their post-surgical care. I've been reading as
much as I can find in the archives and on the web, but I'm looking for
more information.
History: Rogue had a little hair loss with black spots that looked
like rat tail in the spring, and when I asked my (old) vet about it,
she didn't seem especially concerned. We washed it up with some acne
wash, it cleared up and the fur grew in, and I didn't think too much
more about it. Whether it was related or not, I don't know. With the
fall shed, her tail looked quite sparse on the bottom half, and we
tried the acne wash again, but with no luck. As far as behavior goes,
she's been normal (for her) throughout this time, with the exception
of some grooming of Logan when he experienced a reaction to his rabies
vaccine a few weeks ago. Last Saturday we brought her to a different
vet who sees quite a few ferrets to have her checked out. Sure
enough, he found a rather large tumor on her left adrenal in the
x-ray. The right adrenal was obscured in the x-ray. Because of the
size of the tumor, he suggested surgery ASAP.
My plans so far: Obviously, after surgery, I'll need to follow the
vet's instructions. From Sukie's previous posts, I should keep her as
inactive as possible after the surgery, which means a one-level cage
with no ramps, hammies, etc. I'm planning to set it up with some
blankets, a bed, her kibble and water (obviously), and instead of a
normal litter pan, I ordered some SlippyPads
(http://www.slippypad.com/) so that she doesn't have to worry about
climbing into the litter box. I plan to allow Logan to "visit" while
supervised, but he'll be kept in the other level of my Ferret Nation
cage with the ramp between the two levels closed off while I'm at work
or otherwise not able to watch them. I'll offer her chicken or turkey
baby food (which she already takes well) with some Duk Soup mix and
water mixed in a few times a day. I know I need to make sure she's
warm enough, eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom, and I'll
need to check her incision regularly.
What I'd like help with: How long should I keep her in the single
level with no ramps? When can she and Logan stay in the same cage
again? Should she be let out to stretch her legs at all in the
meantime (obviously in a confined area where she can't climb or
otherwise get into trouble)? How can I keep a young and active ferret
calm and resting? Is there anything I'm missing, anything else I
should watch for, etc?
Sorry for the long post - I just want to make sure that she's not at a
disadvantage because I'm a first time ferret owner! Thanks all!
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