From:
"Kim"
Date: 2008-10-21 03:22:47 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Wet Cough
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I do worry about pneumonia and apparently with ferrets it can come
from many sources - bacterial, viral often as a side effect from
another immune disorder or systemic illness - none of which Bugsy or
Crystal have had.
Something I am wondering about regarding some research is that
sometimes pneumonia can be a result of hyperadrenocorticism, Crystal
has developed a "rat tail" with this winter's coat and is deaf ferret
that was born a Panda (most likely neural crest disordered) so she may
have a few inherent strikes against her immune system already.
But Bugsy was the first one to begin the cough and he seems very healthy.
With Pneumonia, according to research, the ferret exhibits: nasal
discharge, labored breathing, typically is listless and often needs
assistance eating, often they have a fever too.
So far both Bugsy and Crystal are breathing o.k. (neither labored, nor
shallow or quick) except of course when coughing.
They have zero nasal discharge.
Because I've "banished" them to the cage, they have reverted back to
their former (pre-adoption) cage behavior- sleeping mostly, except
when eating or going potty and the occasional pitiful let me out
rattle the cage when they know I am sitting in the same room. So I'm
not entirely convinced that their listlessness is as much from being
sick as it is from them being confined to the same cage they spent the
first part of their life in.
I have a blanket over the cage top, the cage sits behind the sofa so
the lower two thirds of three sides is open to the air.
They change their sleeping preferences regularly from top level
hammocks to bottom level snuggies, sometimes sleeping with each other,
sometimes sleeping by themselves.
They dive into their food offerings with gusto. Their deposits have
not changed in consistency or color. The all meat diet of course made
their deposits a bit mushy. Saturday night I allowed them each some
mouse morsels and they swiftly devoured them. Bugsy's issue with
swallowing larger bites has subsided. With the bones, hide and fur
from the mice their deposits have of course firmed up.
Tomorrow night Bugsy will have been on the Clavomox for one full week,
Crystal is only one day behind him. They've both been on the
Robitussin for three days.
Tonight I allowed them some out time from the cage and they both
bounced around like their normal selves. This increased activity did
NOT bring on any coughing fits - which is something I'd expect with a
pneumonia problem.
They both seem to be responding to the Clavomox and especially the
Robitussin but if not cleared up by the ten day dosage ending, (this
Friday) or if they seem to take a turn down hill - I will definitely
have them X-rayed.
As can be surmised from my first post with the first vet's visit, I AM
a bit miffed because I agreed to bring Bugsy back for an x-ray or
even an endoscopy (at that point the vet was thinking possible foreign
body aggravation) if he didn't seem to be responding after a couple
days of treatment, and when I let the vet know that not only was Bugsy
pretty much the same, but also Crystal was now coughing and his answer
was to wait until Monday to bring them in and to NOT dose Crystal
unless he saw her; I lost a lot of confidence in that vet that he had
my ferret's best interest in mind. I doubt I'll return to him.
Even if the cough was the result of a foreign body aggravation or
enlodgement, waiting four more days could have been catastrophic!
Making Crystal wait four days longer before starting on the antibiotic
would have only allowed the organisms to take a stronger hold.
I'm not going to fool myself into thinking they are out of the woods
yet. I am definitely still very much concerned - it would be nice to
know that my chosen medical caregiver was concerned too.
Cheers,
Kim
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/