From:
Troy Lynn Eckart
Date: 2011-03-05 17:10:09 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] re: Stuffy congested nose
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The opaque lung is concerning and since she wasn't having these symptoms before, something is causing them. I have fat ferrets and none of them have breathing problems, though since all ferrets are different there could be other factors that could complicate obesity in ferrets.
I've had ferrets that had allergies, and one with asthma.
My concern in this case would be the two factors, upper respiratory distress and an opaque lung. When it comes to lungs pneumonia is a concern, which when caught later can be difficult to treat. Perhaps if you call your vet and talk about your concerns, an antibiotic will be prescribed just in case this is more than what your vet's first thoughts were. If not, then a second opinion is a very good idea.
Has anyone in your family had an upper respiratory infection? If you have children that go to school, even if they aren't sick they can potentially bring something home with them. While infections can cause colored mucus, one can still have an infection and have clear mucus. I've had them myself.
If the air in your home is dry that could be a contributing factor. Boiling water on the stove can add moisture to the air, or if you have a vaporizor that can be used for a few hours each day to see if that helps.
For stuffiness, I use Peaceful Mountain Nasal Rescue, 1 drop in each nostril 1-2 times a day. I bought it at a local health store, and it is sold at on-line stores too. This has worked well for us, particularly with the pasteurella, along with Vibramycin (liquid antibiotic).
Our vet did a trachea swab and culture to find out which bacteria we were dealing with in our group that had sneezing and stuffy noses, turned out to be pasteurella and strep. We tried several antibiotics and finally settled with Vibramycin for current and future outbreaks.
One thing to monitor closely with upper respiratory issues is eating. Ferrets tend not to eat as much when they don't feel well. Feeding a warm liquid recipe can help to loosen mucus as will keeping them well hydrated. My group likes watered down turkey and gravy baby food, and some like cranberry juice (100%) flavored water.
Hope she feels better soon. tle
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