From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-09-22 15:53:09 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret with cold?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Ironically, I had to answer the same sort of question for someone else yesterday.
Should anyone tells you it is a "cold" think twice because it is NOT. When people think
the ferrets have colds they instead have more serious things, some of which need
treatment, and some of which are responsive to antibiotics (bacterial sinus infections are
responsive to antibiotics (Amoxi or Clavamox may be the first ones to try.) but colds are
caused by rhinoviruses so are not). Ferrets get bacterial sinus infections, they get
influenza (especially avian forms), they get pneumonia of several types, etc. They don't
get the rhinoviruses that cause colds which is great annoyance to the pharmaceutical
industry which would LIKE to study them in relation to colds AND the things that they do
get but CAN'T because they simply do NOT catch rhinoviruses. (The pharmaceutical
industry does use ferrets for some other respiratory things such as influenza work where
ferrets are the principal animal model used.)
See these expert vet posts:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4053
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG1618
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG10945
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG9530
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4054
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG2137
Dr. Bruce Williams is one of the best, perhaps the best, ferret veterinary pathologist in the
world.
There are other things, from canine distemper which is the type of distemper that ferrets
get (We are now in the time of year when vets see the greatest percentage of these cases
in pets according to a report I read just a couple of weeks ago.) to something inhaled and
stuck in a sinus cavity, to an infected tooth root that is in a sinus cavity (or the infection
has eaten its way in), to a sinus tumor, to fungal infections from soil (hard to treat), or
more. The ferret is up to date on vaccinations, right?
TIP: if it is a bacterial sinus infection TREAT ALL who can get it, including all humans.
Years ago Ruffle and I seemed the be exchanging a particularly difficult sinus infection
back and forth, but it turned out that my husband was a silent carrier, so when we finally
treated him, too, the infection went away. (Ruffle was handicapped and insisted on living
alone so we knew that she was not exposed to other ferrets and I avoided the ferrets
when sick and practically washed my hands raw.)
Dehydration is a real problem with respiratory illnesses of ferrets, and so is not eating
due to not being able to smell. They also can develop pneumonia without have any
strong signs and then pass so if coughing starts a chest x-ray is needed.
Sometimes all that a person can do is to try to bring info to help a vet who doesn't know
ferrets. It was pretty much the norm often enough in the earlier decades when we had
ferrets.
In the plain pediatric Benedryl elixir helps then they are sharing an allergy. That can
happen. Sometimes two unrelated beings just happen to be allergic to the same things.
One in the past and I both were allergic to rag weed (now blooming in much of the U.S.)
and one now and I both react to a different weed though he gets skin reactions usually
when it blooms and it is actually chartable using an pollen count reporting facility in our
area and now we even know what above what level of count (10 per cubic meter) he
begins to react to the weed plantain pollen.
Given the fever, though, it seem like perhaps it is an influenza that you and your
daughter do not react to strongly but your ferret does, or the ferret might have developed
a secondary bacterial infection.
I think you need to see a local vet (who can call your ferret vet for advice and bring along
the info you receive. Being this sick I'd opt for a chest x-ray and consider the possibility
of antibiotic. If there is pneumonia then more than one antibiotic simultaneously may be
needed.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, aclavern33@... wrote:
>
>
> Violet came down with what appears to be flu/cold type symptoms. High fever
> sudden onset, runny nose, runny eye, lethargic....and the big
> one...completely stuff up can not breath through her nose. Mouth breathing,
sneezing.
> clear drainage from nose and eye.
>
> Poop is normal. peeing is normal. She wants to play and wants attention.
>
> We have no vet care here on the weekends. Our ferret vet has moved over 100
> miles away.
>
> I have been providing 100% support with chicken baby food, water. She is
> eager to eat and hungry at EVERY feeding. At first she was VERY weak. Falling
> over to poo, unable to really stand.
>
> Today she is standing, wobbly but walking. Still is completely blocked
> nose. she is sneezing a lot. It sounds like she is breathing out through her
> nose but in through her mouth. I have been sub Q fluids to keep her going.
> Giving benedryl to see if that will help. One nostril looks like it has a cut
> on it. I am wondering if she has gotten bitten by something. Her temp which
> was 103 is now back to ferret rage normal 101.5. Also using Marshal's
> respiratory RX and Afrin one tiny drop per nostril every 12 hrs. She has no other
> symptoms or rashes. Shots are up to date.
>
> I have tried saline nose drops on her nose, using steam and all the other
> remedy's used for small human baby with stopped up nose! Nothing seems to
> really be giving her the relief she needs.
>
> My daughter had a viral illness that presented the same way with sudden high
> fever and flu like symtoms...it passed within a few days. I also had the
> same thing happen to me over the weekend. Within a few hours of finding her
> sick. I got sick with high fever 103 chills and flu like symptoms. They were
> all gone about 24 hrs later when the fever broke.
>
> I need some advice since there is NO ferret vet here.
------------------------------------
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