From:
"ferretlover1124"
Date: 2009-01-11 05:24:19 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Can anyone figure out what is wrong?? Blood from mouth, sores, diarrhea and more
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I took him back to the Rockville Pike Petco tonight and they took
his body. The vet I used is [removed per FHL rules] hospital in
Damascus.
The ferret I still have is probably about 8-9 months, maybe
a little older or younger. I've had him since mid Nov. and he has no
symptoms of any sort.
I'm pretty sure it was green urine because
after he would pee, when I was holding him or when he was in his cage
I would lift him to pick him up or move him and it would be green
everywhere and his stomach was wet.
There were sores all over the
tail on the first ferret and the third. The second ferret only
exhibited sores in the mouth. The sores in the mouths of the all 3
ferrets were all over their tongues and a little red spot on their
chin.
The first ferret and the second both had the green urine and
sores on their tongues and chin along with diarrhea, loss of appetite
and extreme all over weakness/lethargy.
The first ferret was ill
within the 3rd day of having him and I took him to [hospital] which
is in association with Petco. They put him on amoxicillian and he got
better.
He had diarrhea, wouldn't eat and was VERY lethargic. He got
better and then I got my 2nd ferret (the one I still have) about 3
months later or so and within a week or two my first ferret became
very ill, developed sor es in his mouth, chin, tail, would not eat,
lost weight, loose stool, VERY lethargic and weak and green urine.
I
took him to [hospital] and he was put on a medication I was told that
was stronger than amoxicillan. The vet, Dr. [name removed per FHL rules]
said he probably
just had a kidney infection.
He died 3 days later in my arms, he
seemed like he was choking all of a sudden and died within minuets.
Then later I got a 3rd ferret and he was very lethargic and had
diarrhea from the beginning. He also had sores in his mouth (purple
sores), very lethargic, acted like he had been abused, developed a
sore on his chin, bled from the mouth and eye.
I took him tothe vet and he was put on a cream for his eye which was said to
be a ruptured ulcer and amoxicillian for a virus. He didn't get any
better and would scream and whine, I couldn't deal with seeing him
suffer so I took him back. They said he had a dislocated shoulder
(which turned out to be a crushed leg) in addition to everything
else.
I had only had him for a day before I took him to the vet. The
vet said these injuries most likely occured while being shipped or in
the store. I took him back to the petco in Leesburg and he was taken
to a "specialist" who put him down without my concent. I was very
upset.
My 2nd ferret (the one who has been healthy) seemed to be
depressed and not interested in playing and slept alot but otherwise
exhibited no other symptoms.
I figured he was lonely/depressed so I
got another ferret for him to play with from Fairfax Petco, hoping to
have better luck. Within a week, he too got sick, but very rapidly,
more quickly than the others, almost over night. He was very skinny
to begin with when we got him, he had always been very small.
He developed a red (not open) sore/rash on his chin in the same spot and
mannor as the other two ferrets that passed. He also began crying and
yelping and whimpering when handled.
I laid him down under a warm
blanket and called my husband who is in the Marine core. I had no way
of getting anywhere. I came up about 15 mins later to check on him
and try to get him to eat some ferret food mixed with warm water and
found blood all over the cage, coming from his mouth. There was quite
a significant amount of blood, more than the other ferret. I took him
downstairs and noticed the sores on his tail were worse and there was
a gritty, sandy-like substance on his belly near his penis. I wipped
him off with a warm cloth and covered him up in his cage and blocked
him on the second level (away from the other ferret) and tried to get
him to eat or drink.
My husband didn't come home until the morning,
at around 4 or 5am and found him dead with his body very stiff. This
all happened so quickly and unexpectedly.
However, my other ferret
has never shown any of these symptoms. I don't understand what is
causing it. I told the manager at petco and she told me all their
ferrets are from Marshall (which I knew) and that they are inbred and
basically Marshall is a ferret mill and that is why they have so many
problems and their mortality rate is so high.
I still can't find
anything that makes sense and pieces together all of the symptoms to
one illness/disease. The sores in the mouth were dark purple and red,
the ones on the tails were open with a little secretion and red and
the ones on the chin were more rash-like (light pink spot, not open
or oozing). I read about ECE, distemper (which they were supposedly
vaccinated for, and I keep their cage very clean and I have no other
pets), insulinimia, aleutions disease, infections, etc. but nothing
explained the bleeding from the mouth, what caused it and all the
various symptoms all at once.
Thanks for your help,
Michelle
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