>Silly question but...which is better.  I have both and have a hard
>time making up my mind which one to use.  Of course the furkids like
>the Kaopectate better.
 
Dear XXXXX:
 
The real question here is "better for what"?  It all depends on what
problem you are using it for.  Pepto-Bismol has an anti-inflammatory
property which makes it a better choice for some inflammatory
conditions of the stomach, such as helicobacter infection, and ulcers.
 
Kaopectate is called an adsorbent - it supposedly binds some toxins
and/or bacteria in the intestine and has a protective coating action.
Its effectiveness in diarrhea in any species is largely anecdotal, and I
generally don't think it has much of any use in ferrets.  If your ferret
has diarrhea, it is there for a reason.  I believe a better way to
approach the problem of diarrhea in ferrets is not to try to control
motility or "firm up the stools" by giving chemicals, but to let the
body's natural defense mechanisms do their thing - moving out the bad
poop quickly, and concentrate on replenishing the fluids and electrolytes
that may be lost.  When I was gong through vet school - that might be the
most important lesson that I was taught - if there is something bad in
the poop that the body wants to get rid of - the last thing you want to
do is to make it so the body retains it.
 
I have never prescribed Keopectate for ferrets - it won't harm them, but
really doesn't do any good.  I rarely use Pepto-Bismol these days, except
in cases of Helicobacter infection - for ulcers, Carafate does a much
better job.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
 
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[Posted in FML issue 3361]