From:
"imayuman"
Date: 2008-02-22 17:57:25 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: hairball remedy
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
My favorite topic! Glad you brought it up, actually. I always
appreciate the opportunity to share my 'discovery'. Since I haven't
shared it here before, I will now:
I used to give my kids hairball remedy very regularly and *thought*
that and thorough ferretproofing and supervised play would virtually
make an intestinal blockage unheard of for my kids! Wrong! One of my
ferrets had a hairball a few years ago, despite having hairball
remedy given regularly! After costing me about $1,000 for that
surgery, I began searching for a more effective way to attack the
problem of hairballs, since I had *never* really seen my kids pass
anything when I had given them hairball remedy. Yes, it was goopy and
I told myself it was the thing to do to give it to them, but I never
*saw* any results.
In my search for a SAFE and EFFECTIVE solution to hairball problems,
I found a product called Vetasyl - used mostly for cats with hairball
problems and/or dogs with constipation. It is a fiber-based laxative
with psyllium and barley that is taken with a lot of fluid and it
expands inside the stomach/intestinal tract, then moves through the
digestive system, taking everything in its way along with it to be
excreted safely and painlessly. Then I began experimenting with
dosages; carefully making sure to give enough water, so as not to
cause a blockage (could happen if you gave Vetasyl with not enough
water).
Finally, with the help of my vet, who is very ferret savvy, I have
developed what works great and has been absolutely miraculous not
only for my kids, but for many many other folks here on the
AllExperts group and within the ferret community. You can get Vetasyl
at almost any online veterinary supply or pet store, and most local
pet stores too.
Instead of goopy, messy petroleum-based hairball remedies, I take the
contents of ONE VETASYL CAPSULE (toss the capsule itself away), TWO
LEVEL TEASPOONS OF UNCLE JIM'S DUK SOUP MIX (by Marshall's Ferret
Foods), and SIX OUNCES OF VERY WARM WATER. STIR WELL WITH YOUR FINGER
(to be sure it's not too hot for your ferret to drink).
If you have multiple ferrets, it is best to TREAT ONLY ONE FERRET AT
A TIME, so you know for sure how much of the mixture that ferret
ingested and exactly what came out and at what stage in the
treatment. It's a good idea to keep a written record on each ferret
for future reference, as ferrets tend to follow a pattern, some
ferrets just seem to be more prone to blockages than others and will
consistently pass hairballs, some on the second day, some on the
third or even the fourth day of treatment...once you figure out each
ferret's "normal", note it for future reference. EACH FERRET MUST be
monitored to be SURE he/she drinks MOST of the six ounces - the more
the better. My large male slurps all six ounces without hardly taking
a breath - he loves it. If your ferret will drink something else
better - use it as the 'base' to put the Vetasyl in, just MAKE SURE
that whatever you use is ONLY THE CONSISTENCY OF WATER and it DOES
NOT CONTAIN SUGAR (this much of anything with sugar in it could throw
a ferret into a real sugar crisis). If you use your own
homemade "soup", be SURE to thin it down until it is the consistency
of WATER when you give this treatment. If the ferret isn't wild about
the mixture, DON'T GIVE UP! Continue to TRY to offer it...add a
little Ferretone, re-warm it, add a little butter, peanut butter
melted and stirred in, whatever it takes to get the ferret to take it
as long as the mixture remains watery and NOT sugary - and try to be
sure it's something that's healthy for your ferret because six ounces
of ANYTHING is like eating a *huge* meal for a ferret..this is why I
use Uncle Jim's - it is meant to be a meal & if made 'thin' enough,
it is the right consistency and is still good for the ferret too. The
more of the mixture the ferret eats, the better the Vetasyl will work
and the more likely effective it will be in cleaning out your
ferret's intestinal tract.
Next you will be watching for what the ferret passes. This can start
anytime from about 3 to 4 hours after eating the mixture. The poops
will be very recognizable because they will be fatter than usual and
can contain things you may recognize, and some things you may not
even recognize. I always recommend that you pick these poops up out
of the litterbox with a paper towel, spread them with a popsicle
stick or something similar. It's a good idea to at least TRY to make
sure you can account for ALL pieces of a toy or other item you find
in your ferret's poops - a small piece MAY mean there is more
inside. Any time something is passed other than stool, give the
ferret at least one more treatment, which hopefully will move any
remaining pieces through the intestines. Again, continuing to check
poops for anything recognizable. Things like pieces of balloons, ear
plugs and similar items are especially important to keep all passed
pieces and make sure you can account for the whole item, not just
part of it.
The first time I gave the THREE-DAY VETASYL TREATMENT to my big male
ferret, on the third day (which is how we decided to make it a
minimum of a three-day treatment) he passed a hairball the size and
shape of my little finger that was covered with green pus on one end
(sorry so graphic)!! Little did I know, he was already working on
another $1,000 intestinal blockage surgery just two months after his
previous one (and he had been on Laxatone DAILY since his surgery
too!)! I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT and IMMEDIATELY! Again,
any time a ferret does pass 'goodies' other than just poop, be sure
to give the treatment for at least one more day to ensure everything
is out. There are folds in the intestine where things can *hide*, but
not from the Vetasyl for long! One more day treatment even removed
the pus and some smelly fluid my ferret had been hiding deep in the
folds of his intestines and within the next two days he was once
again ornery and back to his energetic silly self again! And I had
no idea he was even working on a blockage! Scares me when I realize
how close he really was to a life-threatening problem. I never would
have suspected another intestinal blockage so soon after the first -
I absolutely credit Vetasyl with saving me a whole bunch of vet bills
at the very least, and at most for saving my ferret's life!
Where to get what you need? Almost any good pet store, either online
or brick and mortar, will carry one or both products. Here is one
place you can get Vetasyl (I haven't been able to find Vetasyl in a
ferret store yet, but have requested that Drs Foster & Smith start
carrying it):
http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10508
Of course there are many many others who carry it, mostly dog/cat
supply stores. Vetasyl costs about $15.00/bottle of 100 capsules.
You can find Uncle Jim's Duk Soup Mix here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?
pcatid=17529&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&pc=1&N=0&Ntt=uncle
%20jim%27s%20duk%20soup&Np=1
...and it costs about $10.00 a jar not including shipping. So a
total of only a $25 investment lasts a long time to ensure your
ferret's intestinal health!
I hope you will try the Vetasyl treatment. I would like to see it
become the new standard in basic ferret care instead of petroleum-
based ferret/cat hairball remedies. It is just so much more
effective, completely skips the sugary goop, even if it is just a tad
more trouble to prepare. If you have any reservations, please feel
free to discuss the safety of it with your ferret vet and follow
his/her recommendations.
Those who have already used the Vetasyl 3-day treatment on their
ferrets have given me some incredible feedback and reported some
really surprising things that have been passed in litterboxes across
the country (and in Germany too)! There have been no negative reports
so far; there should NOT be, as long as people follow the directions
and make sure they only give the Vetasyl with the full six ounces of
water. It's also a good idea to STIR THE MIXTURE OCCASIONALLY AS THE
FERRET DRINKS IT for extra safety - at least that's what I do. The
ferret gives me an annoyed look, but that's okay :-) The Vetasyl
tends to fall to the bottom of the bowl if not stirred, so I do get
better overall results if I slip my finger in and stir it 2 or 3
times while he slurps it down.
**IMPORTANT WARNING: VETASYL *MAY* BE USED IF AN INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE
IS SUSPECTED - BUT (and this is a BIG but...) IT ABSOLUTELY *MUST* BE
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A FERRET VET QUALIFIED TO TAKE YOUR VET TO
SURGERY IMMEDIATELY IF IT BECOMES SUDDENLY NECESSARY - DO NOT TREAT
KNOWN BLOCKAGES AT HOME. If your ferret's stomach becomes bloated and
painful after you give the Vetasyl mixture and he/she appears frantic
and/or unable to poop, take ferret to an emergency vet immediately
for evaluation. There is a very slight possibility that intestines
*could* rupture (if ferret has a full-blockage or other
complications) under the additional pressure of Vetasyl on an
unhealthy intestine!**
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "kblausman" <kblausman@...>
wrote:
>
> I know that I have read that it is ok to use hairball lax to make
sure
> your ferret does not have hairball blockage, but are those
laxatives
> still molasses based? would this increase the sugar problems? And
can
> ferrets with insulinoma even use them? Or have they made a ferret
lax
> that is without molasses? I know mine smells just like it, is why
I
> asked? I know I ask too many questions.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kendra
>
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