From:
"Candace"
Date: 2009-05-26 04:35:34 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Need help with a very sick ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Sorry, I don't normally post on this group. I have been a member for awhile and occasionally read, but don't know if there is a protocol for posting.
I have a 5 year old ferret (Merlin) who was acting just fine on Friday. Playing and active. On Sunday, we got home to see that he was not doing well.
His symptoms are:
*Swollen Feet (all feet and legs are swollen and red)
*Unable to stand on his own. If you manage to help him stand, he falls over very quickly.
*Breath smells bad (it didn't before that we noticed) and his teeth look all funky now. Maybe they were not good before, but I don't think they were like they are now.
*keeps opening his mount and licking his face
*isn't really sleeping. just laying on his side with his eyes open (cause that's how we set him. He will flop down in whatever position we set him)- I swear he is not dead, though last night, I thought he might be on death's door.
*The only time I have seen him stand or walk is when he went to the bathroom, which was once yesterday and once today (which he fell over in it afterward)
*urine is very very concetrated and dark yellow (almost brown)
*poop is loose and a bit darker than usual, but I figured it was just the stress of it.
*Blood Glucose was tested at the vet today and was normal (4.2)
*Temperature is slightly higher than normal
*dehydrated (did sub-q today and last night). He will not eat on his own
*WILL eat gravy when fed to him, and will drink from a syringe, but not on his own (likely cause he can't stand up)
He went to the emergency vet last night. She doesn't know what the problem is.
Vet today said she didn't know either, but gave him a shot of antibiotics and a homeopathic remedy to try (which doesn't appear to be helping).
Merlin will be 5 years old in July. He wasn't out of his cage since he was active and playing on Friday. No bug bites visible, but I am in Canada, and we don't so much have those types of bugs up here anyway... He didn't get into anything cause he wasn't out of his cage. He was loosing fur about 2 years ago so we did a melatonin thinking it was adrenal, but he never got another implant or surgery cause the symptoms never came back! No new foods, treats or anything. We also have 8 other ferrets (two that live in the same cage) that show no weird signs.
anyone got suggestions? Ideas we can try? If he isn't doing better soon, we may have to make a hard call. He clearly is suffering, and if he wasn't doing so well only 2 days before, we would have put him to sleep already, but if it is something that can be fixed in a day or two, we wanted to give him that chance to get better. So please let me know if there is anything I can try with him.
thanks in advance,
Candace
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