From:
"Aija Kouhi"
Date: 2008-01-11 23:46:44 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Young ferret dying of bronchitis? Help!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi!
Please bear with our story because this is a weird case and our vets
are puzzled. Can anyone here help?
Half year old jill(unsterilized) first got a lump on the neck next to
the microchip a month ago. The lump appeared in one night, it was
1,5x2cm and quite hard and "clear-cut".
She was given antibiotics(Amovet) for it and the lump started to go
down after about a week.
Almost immediately after the lump went down, the jill got very sleepy
and started loosing weight because she didn't have strenght to eat on
her own. Kind of flue like symptoms.
In a week the ferret was very lethargic and stopped eating and
drinking on its own. Only thing she did was go to the litter box(next
to her bed) but she didn't have strenght to leave and collapsed in it
sleeping everytime.
A vet took an X-ray that showed the jill had bronchitis. She was given
another antibiotics, a stronger one(baytril injection version given
oraly) and fluids.
After a few days nothing got better and the ferret came to my care.
She was given Waltham Canine Convalescence Support every 2-3 hours day
and night, which she ate very willingly. Still no progress. I took the
ferret to another vet that found out she had an enlarged spleen and
still the bronchitis. Heart and lungs looked fine. The jill got fluid
injection, changed the antibiotics to Synolux and she also got a pain
medication injection.
The same evening she walked a little bit and seemed to be more alert.
Next day she was still alert and had strength to walk a bit. Didn't
sleep in the litterbox any more. Still she didn't eat on her own, but
I served her 20 ml(quite watery)convalescence support every 2-3 hours.
Then she started to get lethargic again and got so bad I was sure she
was going to die in 24 hours. I gave her 10 ml fluid shot before I
went to work and after 5 hours I was told she was walking again.
How is it possible she was dehydrated even though she was
"drinking/eating" so much? All her stools are very good and solid so
she is absorbing the oral fluids, but why isn't it enough? She also
pees a lot. The antibiotics doesn't seem to be working at all. Vet
says there is nothing more to do.
Is it possible for a young ferret to die in bronchitis because the
antibiotics aren't working? What could cause it? What could cause her
getting dehydrated even with an intake like that? How could we help
the oral fluids to stay in her and not to get dehydrated?
What could the lump have been? Vets don't have a clue.
Could the lump be connected to the rest of the health problems?
Does anyone know if baytril even is an antibiotics that should be
given to ferrets? I've heared it might be too strong and do more bad
then good.
If anyone have any succestions we are very open to them.
Thanks!
-Aija
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