From:
"Clover Williams"
Date: 2008-09-13 05:54:43 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Need help with Alfie--deformed jaw locking up
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Some of you may remember Alfie, whom I got last year. He has a rare
but documented manifestation of the same genetic cluster that causes
the blaze and deafness. In his case, he has both but also a deformed
jaw that opens only a tiny bit. He was on soft food, cut small, or
gravy. The original shelter was told by their vet that surgery would
be risky (since it's never been done), expensive, and possibly
unnecessary. It's generally been assumed that what would finally do
him in would be complications from tooth decay. I've had his teeth
cleaned, but they can only get to the gum side, and without the
benefit of hard food. . .
Well, the past few days, he hasn't wanted to eat. I have tried
tempting him with lots of extras in his soup and lots of coaxing, and
he seemed to be eating. Today I finally tried forcing him to eat, and
even when he relaxes a bit and gets into it, it seems that his jaw is
locking up even more. There was just a tiny gap in the very front for
me to dribble in some very watered down carnivore care. And he seemed
dehydrated, so sq'ed but I'm wondering if he was even able to drink
much. (For the past month he has been running into things now and
then; I don't know if that's related.) Will I have to do this every
four hours to prevent an ulcer and/or dehydration and related
complications? Should I assume he's got at least the beginnings of
these things now? He just pooped a drop of black, but that hasn't
been an ongoing thing.
He's sweet, perky, otherwise healthy, and only about 4. Really not
ready to go. But he scared me by botttle brushing after an itty bitty
sub-q, and then curling up in that way. That. Way.
I guess I also hope that some vet/orthopedic veterinary surgeon out
there has some previously unexplored ideas. And really wants to write
a paper about this unusual and potentially high profile case. Really,
the only thing I had thought of before all this, was checking into
having the teeth removed by cutting into the bone (Since they can't
be pulled). Radical, but since the teeth were doing no good and
endangering his life, it seemed logical. Now, if they're closing more-
-I dunno if the teeth are even the issue any more.
I hope you all can come up with options. Please cross post this if
you feel it may help.
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