From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-07-24 16:51:01 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: New to group! Respiratory, wt loss
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Cedar is toxic, but pine has been known to
set off allergies, even potentially fatal ones.
That said, this ferret NEEDS vet treatment.
I know it's expensive, but there simply is no
substitute for veterinary care. Yes, there are
some things you can try at home to reduce
possible allergens and that might be related
but you refer to a THICK nasal discharge and
that makes allergies less likely.
You can ask the vet to try a challenge with
plain children's Benedryl. If it doesn't help
then that even more does not point to an
allergy.
Ferrets do no get colds (which are caused by
rhinoviruses). Don't take my word for that, see
ferret expert veterinary pathology statements like:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG9530
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4054
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4053
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG2137
They do get some things which can cause nasal
discharge and ocular discharge (including Canine
Distemper but if I read your time frame right the
ferret has lived too long for that to be likely) and
for thick nasal discharge the possibilities include
but are not limited to:
1. cracked tooth root causing sinus infection
2. primary bacterial sinus infection (often confused with colds)
3. inhaled item causing sinus infection
4. sinus tumor
5. fungal infection (can be confused with colds)
6. secondary infection after influenza or influenza itself (again,
has been confused with colds)
With an uncontrolled sinus infection there is the
risk that the infection will spread to lungs, eyes, etc.
We had one who traded a hard to treat sinus infection
with me back and forth for 3 months once but finally
treating us both long enough and hard enough with
the right meds (cultures done, if I recall right) worked.
Another time my husband was the silent reservoir of a
bacterium that was causing sinus infection and the key
to stopping it in others was to also treat him.
I know that vet care is expensive but it is an essential of
life and of pet ownership -- a basic like food and shelter.
If things are really, really tight then see if you can trade
your labor for part of the cost, ask if they have an "angels
fund" since some hospitals do to help with economic woes,
and check
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/financial_aid.htm
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