From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-01-16 16:47:12 UTC
Subject: Post-op activity comments Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 82
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
We are careful with post op ferrets for at least 5 days, but usually 10 or more.
That is not just because of our own experiences. Years ago I was curious why some
people kept losing ferrets post-op. To be honest with you I got annoyed because a vet I
knew to be excellent from many, many others was being treated badly in a post from
someone whose ferrets just didn't survive post-op.
Now, this was not any scientific survey and not rigorous by any means, but I had people
whose ferrets didn't survive write to me and compared a lot of things to those whose
ferrets did survive. The big differences were: hydration, sufficient food, and activity level,
especially climbing in the first five days. The ferrets who climbed early tended to not
survive post-op at an unusual rate. Climbing early was the most common single factor in
those who died post-op in the replies I got.
(Decades ago before gas was typically used I recall that keeping the ferret warm enough
for the first 24 to 36 hours at home as well as at the vets was critical so I'll just add that
for those whose vets may not know to use one of the safe gases. By now, vets who are
used to ferrets know to watch their temps.)
Steve and I have found a reason for pain control meds beyond pain control for ferrets. We
have had a few we needed to calm for the first few days so that they would not be risk to
their own health. The short term use of those meds helped do that while not making them
dopy at the same time as reducing pain.
On the other hand, we do believe in supervised visits to keep their spirits up, plus loads of
cuddling, and music (not pan pipes or bag pipes, both of which seem to annoy them, but
they tend to love singing and plucked stringed instruments).
Among the things to watch out for on such visits are ferrets who remove their pal's
stitches. We had one who simply could not be near a post op ferret who had stitches
because he would do that, and his own always needed surgical glue over them for the
same reason.
Sukie (not a vet)
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