From:
"lysergicdgirl25"
Date: 2009-12-29 00:11:50 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Need help! Vet is at a loss!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Basic breakdown is as follows....
First, he started out with some diarehea and I attributed it to the Ferravite I was giving him when I fed the new fuzzies we adopted. He had never had it before, so I figured it was that. Then I noticed it was dark green and thought maybe he had ECE. He had lost a significant amount of weight at this point and was very dehydrated, but was still eating and drinking from what I saw. So off to the vet we go. After a fecal test and exam, we find he had an ear infection, ear mites and some sort of bacterial infection in his belly. So we leave with amoxicillan for his belly, drops for his ear infection and mite meds for all the fuzzies. We also got IV fluids and a vitamin shot for him there. He seemed a little happier later that night, but had stopped eating all together, so we started the soups on him. He took it at first, but now it has seemed to progress to not taking it and so we are doing force feeding with soupies. Since we have been to the vet, he has also lost all bowel con
trol, has severe hind leg weakness (he just drags himself by the front and I have to help him in and out of his hammock), on and off labored breathing, grinds his teeth constantly, and pawing at his mouth. The vet didn't want to get blood from him initially due to his condition and the sedation he said he would have to use. The idea was to treat the symptoms and hope that it improves him enough to be able to get blood without a risk from sedation.
I am thinking it seems more and more like insulinoma, but being that I am not a vet, I could be way off. We will be getting a BG result tomararow though, so I guess that will tell us then. Also, if this matters, he is about 6 years old and we feed EVO ferret and give cooked treats of turkey, beef, chicken, etc and he has always been deaf.
I would like to know what you guys think it could possibly be? Our vet is at a loss as to what to do at this point and it seems no matter where I have gone with my fuzzy babies, the vets here in Phoenix don't seem to know a terrible amount about treating ferrets.
On another note though, that seems to be common practice here to sedate them to get blood. All the vets I have called to check with also do the same thing. I just don't understand why they can't scruff them...mine go dead still when I do it. Is this common practice elsewhere too? Or is it just Phoenix, who apparently according to the shelter mom in Tucson I spoke too, is horrible with ferrets and their care?
Thank you for reading this and even more so if you respond!!
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