Hey everyone,

I just wanted to post on here to catch up a bit on what has been going on with my fuzzball. I have found xxLAYUPxx post about hairballs and thought it might have been what my guy was going through.

I gave him pumpkin which showed some promise because his poops became more solid for a while. But I found he was still clawing at his mouth. Thanks to LAYUP a vet who takes ferrets was found! (Silly I looked and didn't even know that existed in my town)

After waiting for about a week or so, watching him it came to the point where I couldn't allow it anymore; his poops are solid but he is still clawing and what not- I felt bad enough for waiting as long as I had. But I made the appointment. Sept 13 10:30am I took him in.

They did an ear swab and an examination (noticed some scabs on his body, was a scare for ringworm but since both my partner and I had no symptoms that was ruled out) He did not have any mites (thankfully) and so by noon-ish I came out with antibiotics. He is to take it for 7 days and I need to monitor the changes. We will go from there if there is no change (blood work will be done after that).


I am thankful for xxLAYUPxx for finding the links for me, and I hope my guy is in the right direction to being healthy and dooking again.


1 thing I noticed trying to use a syringe to give him the medicine- he hates the stuff! I had to laugh at his reaction but I think it'll be a bit difficult for him to take it. Wouldn't take it off a spoon, my finger and even fought against the syringe (even with ferretone mixed in) I think I may need to try mixing it with his food. 


Was wondering any other suggestions? He seems to spaz and shake his mouth like crazy over the taste of the stuff.  

What is the antibiotic that he is on?

He's on 0.5mg twice a day of Enrofloxacin

It may be possible to get it compounded with a flavor he may like.  Ask your pharmacy.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Try mixing it with ferretone.  Draw up some ferretone in syringe with the meds.

or

Put the meds in the soup.

Good luck

Thanks guys.

I tried ferretone and his reaction was funny! But then I decided to try mixing it with a small spoon full of mush (his ferret diet mixed with water and the meds) and he ate it up quickly! 

He has already been looking more energetic and it is only day two of the meds. Earlier today I heard him dooking! I haven't heard that in a long time :D Made me happy for sure.

Yeah!  Glad to hear that little one is feeling better.

Ramsey was a pain to syringe antibiotics too as well.

I used to mix a little bit of ferret tone with the antibiotics to help the taste a little; consult your vet before doing this.

I would dip the end of the syringe in ferret tone once he got used to it. 


In all honesty, they may hate it the first few attempts (Ramsey would pee and run away), but after a while they get used to it and "suck it up." Tough love. ;)

Great to hear he's doing much better though!

After the first week was over, a week later I had to go back to the vet because he gotten worse again. The vet checked out his teeth and found that it (might) be his back teeth but instead has him on 10 more days of antibiotics (today is his 10th day) his lymphnodes have been swollen and so far they seem to go down near the end of the treatment but I think I'm going to get one more weeks worth (3 weeks is max) just to knock out whatever infection he may have (that is the diagnosis that the vet is going with at the moment). His skin scabs have went down a considerable amount (part of the infection) so hopefully this will end whatever he is dealing with. He still isn't very energetic though, he runs around for 10 minutes before sleeping. He eats and drinks normally though which is good.

Did he get his teeth cleaned?  I fear dental problems after losing Carol.  

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

I think it's time for a much needed update on my little guy.

So, he was on the antibiotic for about a month. He was getting better, started running around more but the symptoms (mainly lethargy and scratching scabs around his neck) would come back after a couple days after his meds would run out. 

He ended up getting blood work done, skin scrape, ear mite test, all that stuff and results were fine. Although his liver came back a bit higher than "average" the vet said that's fine because it can be *his* normal and it is nothing to worry about. She wanted me to come in and get him weighed to monitor his weight for about a week in order to judge whether or not it can be his teeth (at this point it was actually a different vet I was speaking to instead of the regular one I had when I first went there)

When I went in she wanted to meet the little guy, she decided to check his teeth and his scabs out but then took one look at his ears and said ear infection; especially since he had his ears cleaned less than a month ago and it was that build up again. She cleaned his ears and suggested a medicated ear drop. She did all this for free (apart for me purchasing the drops)

Roughly $400 for *guessing* or trial and error if you would.. just to be told it could have been an ear infection all along?

Needless to say, I still have yet to get a call from the vet to bring him in for his checkup after starting the meds.. but he has been running around ALOT more, he has been scratching himself- more like a normal itchy ferret instead of scratching himself to bleed. I saw him paw at his mouth 2 times (only) in the last few weeks. And I have been brushing his teeth.. This other vet told me his teeth has a bit of buildup but nothing to even consider worrying about!

He is I would say 90% better.. I have yet to hear him dook though.. which is making me a bit sad but I am thankful for his healthy turnaround! 

Next time, I am asking for her!! It is frustrating that all of this costed as much as it has just to find out $45 ear drops could have helped two months ago.. I know we would do a lot for our little guys, but being a student I would rather have had the $45 charge first before 5 check ups, $400 and no results because the first one was guessing XD Argh. /Rant over.

It's interesting that oral antibiotics didn't fix the problem, but I once had a ferret with a yeast infection in his ear, for which he got ear drops.  That cleared it up in a week.   The reason we found it was that his ears were all scabbed from scratching.  

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

The reason why this vet said ear infection was because he had his ear cleaned less than a month, and the build up was extreme. After having him on the ear drops for more than 2 weeks his ears seem clean.. but he is back to pawing at his mouth again..
This is what his face looks like when he begins to paw; as you can see his face gets red.. and he loses alot of energy afterwards.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/30tsaq98kkyvivk/AADUkdq_5xEudRkioKIWyA6ia?dl=0

If anyone can help me out on what is going on. I have been bringing him back and forth to the vet.. but the price is getting to be too much for me.. :(

How old is your ferret?  Did the vet check his blood  glucose.  Pawing at the mouth can be sign of insulinoma  (low blood sugar).

If your little one has a ucler they will also paw at their mouth.  Carafate will help.

Could be upset tummy.


If he is pawing at his mouth....he is not feeling well.




  

I agree with wen.   Ask your vet if his blood glucose was checked as part of his blood work.  If you have a copy of the results and it was tested, it should be between 70 at the minimum and 120 mg/dL.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

He is roughly 5-6 years old, I do not know the exact number.
I didn't even think of asking what the sugar level was when they did blood work. I will call them and ask them. I am really worried that might be the issue, I don't know if I can handle that diagnosis.

And what is Carafate? Do I only give it to him if it is confirmed it is an ulcer? Is it over the counter or prescription?

Is there anything I can do from home to make him feel better? He still eats and drinks like normal but does not dook around like he used to.

Thanks for the info guys :) I will definitely be asking my vet, hopefully get this figured out soon. It is so frustrating when they do trial and error treatment.

Is there anything I can do from home to make him feel better?

I would try to give him more protein.  It will not hurt him.  Does he eat duck/chicken soup?
You can also purchased some baby food (chicken broth)  give that to him.


Just don't over due the supplement.  You still want him on his kibbles.

Carafate is like a ferret version of pepto bismol.  It coats the stomach to help ulcers heal and to prevent them.
I always ask for a copy of any blood tests.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

As long as he is eating.... I don't believe you will need the carafate.

I would certainly have his blood gluose checked.

Pred are not expensive, if your little one is coming down with insulimona.



http://www.ferretuniverse.com/health/drugs.asp

I called the vet, conveniently enough, the blood glucose had a lab error.. Vet said the number was showing so low that he wouldn't be alive if that was right.

So I have to go in and pay for ANOTHER test.. Interestingly enough.

Anyway, I bought some baby food, I don't think he likes it so I mixed it in with some duck soup and ferretone and he seemed to eat a bit of it. Do you know how much I should be giving him?

I really appreciate all the feedback!