From:
"j01211970"
Date: 2009-03-05 03:15:11 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Ferret Suddenly sick....could it be the mystery illness that just broke....?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
My 6yr old male ferret Lucas suddenly became ill Sunday night.
For a couple of days prior I noticed he was not quite himself...and that his appetite was lacking slightly. He was also having some issues with diarreah yet again.
Sunday I found him starring blankly at his cage in front of it.
I took him into the living room and put him down...he fell over.
He could get up on his feet...but would walk alittle and would fall over....
He has had insulinoma for over 2yrs, so I immediatly checked his sugar.
It was 62, however...it has been 12hrs since his prednisilone and 5hrs since his last feedng...so the 62 readng did not concern me...as much.
I treated him w/sugar water, fed him a bottle of turkey baby food. gave him some fluids because he was dehydrated (15cc)...waited 30min or so, and rechecked the sugar...it was 74..and he was still acting the same, but worse.
He was now...breathing heavy and wheezing and crying w/each breathe.
I rushed him to a ferret knowledgeable vet.
His heart rate was fast, color was ok, but not great, and respiration was fast. Ultra sound did not show much but some fluid. Xrays should a density in the chest pressing his trachea against his back bone...explaining the breathing...he was placed on oxygen.
In 24hrs I was told her was doing much better. Breathing better, and eating when they fed him no problem. They were waiting for the ultra sound tech to come to get a better reading...the reading showed...
Restrcited Cardiomyopathy. He was started on lassix .1cc 1x daily and a heart med Enalapril 4mg/ml .09cc 1x daily.
I was advised he was much better.
When I went to pick him up he was NOT.
His breathing was better, however.....
His eyes were red and puffy,
his paw pads and gums were very red
He refused to eat ANYTHING for me,
He was grinding nonstop....and
he just wanted to hide his head and was clawing and digging at my sweatshirt.... I had them check his sugar again...and it was 62..but once again it was 12hr since his last pred and 6hrs since his last feeding so that was to be expected.
He also has had some redness on his nose and hair loss on his nose recently recently, which I had wondered if it was do to his adrenal disease that he is treated with using lupron.
I immediately got him to the VET TECH who has cared for him before and does a wonder in nursing sick ferrets back to health....who also works at his normal vets office.
He has been having issues w/on and off diarreah w/mucas for some time that we were able to control....for sometime w/pepcid and clavamox....which was tried after immuran did not work. He had been daignosed w/IBD two years ago...and that was controlled w/Vify Emu oil and switching his food to TF baby formula for over 2yrs, but he started to have flare ups about 3months ago.
In addtion to the heart meds and lassix...he was also given by the vet that saw him sunday Baytril...at the vet he was getting it via injection, now by mouth and has beemn on it for 4days w/no improvement.
So....
His breathing is better. Everything else continues to get worse.
He was going orange diarreah which has now turned to forrest Green... This diarreah has NO bacteria in it what so ever....nada.
He had his blood taken on friday before this happened and it was pretty normal aside from the fact it showed some inflamation...present.
He is refusing to eat ANYTHING...even the turkey baby food he LOVES, or the vivfy he loves or the ferretone he loves..
He just wants to hide, and throws his bedding around like he is angry. He is also grinding despite the use of pepcid and carafate.
He is dehydrated and is getting some fluids...but very little because of the heart.
He is now being syringe fed Ensure Plus to build him up.
He has no fever, butI wonder if this is not a touch of what went around recently....which was expected to be a new strain of ECE, and then turned out not to be but was controlled w/tamiflu.
I just lost my baby yesterday....and dont want to loose another...does anyone have any suggestions or anything similar???
Or even a list of the symptoms that other ferrets had w/the mystery illness...?????
My other ferret Gaston, is starting to act like he has something brewing up....so as soon as we can figure what is up w/Lucas...Gaston will be treated as well.
Thank you,
Judy
Metroferret, NJ
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