From:
"Jeff"
Date: 2010-03-29 17:28:29 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Help - sick ferret - trouble swallowing - afraid to eat.
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Some things to have a vet check closely for:
Possible blockage or partial blockage. Even ferrets who have all their hair go thru periods of shedding, during which time they swallow some of the hair while grooming themselves OR others. This hair can build up and eventually cause a partial or total blockage. Have you tried ferret lax for a couple of days to see if it loosens up anything? Recently our boy Pop, a recent rescue, had lost his appetite and was also having bad poops. After 2 days of ferret lax twice daily he passed a massive furball. Soon after that everything went back to normal, he gained back his lost weight, and he was eating voraciously again.
Your ferret may also have periodontal disease of some sort of a bad tooth that is causing him pain. He may also have mouth or throat ulcers. He may also have insulinoma. Has his blood glucose been checked? The incident that you describe, where he's sitting and staring and drooling, is a regular sign of insulinoma known as a seizure. This is a mild seizure. They get a lot worse if insulinoma is not treated.
Please respond after he's seen a vet and let us know what the findings are.
Jeff
In Memory of Trinny, Neo, Pip, Mr. Parker, and Possum the Million Dollar Ferret
Caring for Morphy, Baby Girl, Luna, Dozer, Sabrina, Minnie Mouse, and Pop
[All good points.
If there is a strange noise when swallowing
or if there is reflux then think MegE and
see if the ferret swallows more easily in an
upright position.
Look up
MegaE or Megaesophagus
in the separate FHL Archives:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
and for your first round just use the
search message body for
box and leave the other two blank.
-- Moderator]
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