From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2010-03-31 22:57:15 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Confused about ulcer treatment
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi,
Dr. Williams was responding to my post about my ferret who was vomiting frank blood. His recommendation was to deal with the bleeding ulcer first before treating for the Helicobacter, that probably had caused it.
In terms of your ferret, 10 minutes before eating is not long enough for it to coat her insides before eating - but also too close to the medications that it will affect their absorption.
Carafate should be given 20-40 minutes before feeding. That way it has time to form a 'band-aid' before eating, and also time enough for it not to affect the antibiotics you are giving.
Is your ferret vomiting frank blood or does she have the tarry black stool, teeth grinding normally associated with bleeding ulcer and Helicobacter?
The difference is that vomiting actual blood means the ulcer is more serious and is at risk of a bleedout. At the time my own vet was away at a conference and the treating vet (not experienced in ferrets) simply prescribed the medications and told me to hope they worked soon enough so she didn't die. However, she vomited the meds with the blood and that's when I posted here and Dr. Williams came through with his advice!
Sure enough it took about 5 days but it worked to stop the obvious bleeding and then I began the Helicobacter protocol. Unfortunately, I lost her several months later to lymphosarcoma, which had invaded her entire abdominal cavity and numerous organs, and may have been the cause of the initial bleeding.
If your ferret is not actually vomiting frank blood, continue with the Helicobacter protocol your vet has her on. The antibiotics have to be taken with food not to cause tummy upset. However, the only thing I would do differently is space out the Carafate before feeding.
The Biaxin/Amoxi protocol is very effective within 2 weeks. However, I suspect she hasn't been absorbing completely because of the Carafate being given too close. Key is that she needs BOTH antibiotics on board in her system for the full 2 weeks. If you've just begun the Biaxin it wouldn't have had time to work yet.
Pepcid reduces the amount of acid that is produced.
Hope that clarifies some of the confusion.
Tressie
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Julie" <themoondancer811@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> My 7 year old female is being treated for a stubborn bleeding ulcer that we have been trying to get under control for a month and a half.
>
> Our current medication regimen is-
> .6 ml Carafate 4 x daily
> 1 ml Biaxin 3 x daily (we just began this)
> 1 ml Amoxi 2 x daily
> .2 ml Pepcid ac
>
> This is where my confusion begins- when to give the meds.
>
> I have been giving the Carafate 10 minutes before I feed her, per doctors instruction. Is 10 minutes too early or is a half hour too late? (She DOES still grind her teeth toward the end of the feeding.)
>
> I then give the Biaxin & Amoxi together after she eats, again per doctors instruction. I have read that Carafate interferes with the absorption of the medications. Am I giving them too soon after the Carafate?
>
> Also, what does the Pepcid ac target?
>
> I am also confused after reading this post by Dr. Williams in the archives- http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL5503
>
> In which he states-
> "In these cases (2 year old w/bleeding ulcer being treated w/ Biaxin & Amoxi), I generally don't give meds other than Sucralfate and a bland diet for a number of days. The stress of giving a lot of meds actually worsens ulcers in ferrets, not improves them. We can always go back and treat the Helicobacter if we want."
>
> So has my vet jumped the gun by treating her with all of the meds from the start, thus making the ulcer worse? Should we have treated with just the Carafate?
>
> Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be sure this is being treated properly and effectivly so this does not drag on any further.
>
> Thank you! =)
>
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