From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-05-15 15:40:31 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] HIlbert has an infection and is on IV
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
At this point the cause is unknown. If there had been exposure to
another ferret beyond ours or if we'd gotten something from a ferret
household within 2 weeks, or been to a pet store or ferret gathering
I'd wonder about ECE (the enteric version, not the much worse systemic
one). It presents like that. There is no known exposure like those,
though, not even through our clothing or shoes. That isn't to say it
is impossible because you never know if someone may have lost a sick
ferret whose waste got on shoes, but it is highly unlikely.
So, he is in the hospital on an emergency basis on IV and an
assortment of meds to fight bacterial infection (in case it is
bacterial or in case he gets a secondary infection while so
compromised), deal with nausea, offset the severe diarrhea, etc.
We had the option of having him home with IV but Hilbert allows IVs to
stay in if he in the hospital but once home he removes them within 2
minutes. We are all too familiar with that from his hydronephrosis
which was when he was in his first year.
Poor little guy is feeling his years, though he survived severe
hydronephrosis secondary to both cystine uroliths and a bladder
diverticulum, more recently survived having a huge insulinoma mostly
removed (part was attached to a major blood vessel for the stomach and
had to remain) with subsequent diabetes that also almost caused his
kidneys to fail, etc. Almost seven and a half years old is good for a
ferret who has neural crest genetic variation and cystine urolith
genetics but he gets a lot of care and has a low (~35%) protein diet
to avoid more of this type of urolith. He deserves more, though.
He's very ill and we also are hoping that the other ferrets don't
break with whatever he has. Mornie is already compromised by
carcinoma, but we are watching and will jump if we need to jump.
We have no idea what he has but suspect it is likely to be something
for which a human (one of us) can be silent or near silent carrier.
He's perked up a lot. Earlier today we wondered if he might now make
it. Now, as long as he has his IV he has a very good chance of
getting past this, too. Oh, and it is not influenza; his respiratory
system is fine.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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