From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-12-02 18:28:58 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] allergic reaction, not eating on and off
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Allergies are commonly to things to which the individual has had many
exposures, and can be many things.
Hilbert was highly allergic to a pollen. By using pollen sites we
finally figured out that Swamp Plantain was most likely the weed that
got him badly each year, but before considering pollens we looked at
many things in the home: foods (even what we cooked in case he was
very allergic to particulates), treats, litters, fragrances (including
altering our shampoos for a while to see if that mattered),
deodorants, detergents, our own lotions, etc. The first year we
thought we'd found the problem but then the next year without that
product present he reacted again and we realized that the time of year
was about the same. So, then we changed seasonal things like the
foods cooked while keeping in mind that it might be a pollen. In his
case it was pollen, but luckily he only reacted that one time of year
because his skin would get so bad that biopsies were having to be
taken before we knew for sure what was going on, and he would need
antibiotics to deal with the secondary infections his wounded, swollen
skin would get.
Also, are there bites or signs of any parasites? Some animals react
to those. For reasons no one knows bedbugs are in an upswing again.
Population bursts and crashes happens with those insects decades
apart. They had a big upswing in the 1940s, too, and often that
happens in many locations at once, lasts up to a few years, and then
they subside also for unknown reasons. Right now they are in an
upswing in both Europe and the U.S., having a population explosion for
some unknown reason yet again. Fleas are also found in homes, and
certainly are ubiquitous.
Years ago we had Ruffle who was set into asthma attacks by a range of
pollens, molds, fragrances, litters, etc.
Has an antihistamine like plain children's Benedryl elixir been
tried? That used to help both Ruffle and to a lesser extent also
Hilbert but I can't recall the dosing. Certainly, not all
antihistamines are safe for ferrets. One that I use for myself is
highly poisonous for them so I have to be extremely careful about
where I keep that and to always watch the container when I take out
pills, in fact, I don't even take out those pills unless I know that I
am even in a totally different room from the ferrets.
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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