>My 5 1/2 year old neutered male became very depressed with the loss of our
>8 1/2 year old female.  A week ago Thurs night (6/24) he became lethargic,
>vomited once, and has had seedy (sometimes green) diarrhea.  My vet (the
>only ferret knowledgeable vet in the area) thinks that he has helicobactor.
>She also wants to do adrenal surgery because he has a bald tail.  She
>thinks the anorexia and diarrhea could be in part to adrenal tumors.  His
>bald tail is the only symptom he has ever shown of adrenal tumors.  My gut
>feeling is not to do surgery, so at this point I am not going to proceed
>with that route.  Currently he is on Amoxi-drops 1/2 ml BID, metronidazole
>0.2 ml BID (when I can get it down him), chlorphenicol 0.48 ml BID,
>carafate 1/8 tablet 3-4 times daily before feeding.  I force feed him a
>mixture of A/D, chicken baby food, pedialyte and Ferretvite every 4 hours.
>He is drinking on his own when I offer it.  We ran a complete blood
>profile (CBC, Chem 20) and a Urinalysis last week.  Besides being slightly
>dehydrated at the time, the results were within normal limits.  I am at a
>loss of what to do next.  If anyone has any suggestions please let me know,
>I am not ready to loose him.
 
And in addition,
 
>I just posted about the ill ferret.  I forgot to mention, he frequently
>grinds his teeth (why we are using carafate).  His stomach also is almost
>always gurgling (sp?).  He sounds miserable.  It can get very loud at
>times.  Thanks in advance if anyone can help.
 
It certainly sounds suspicious for Helicobacter/ulcerative gastritis.  Did
you do a fasting blood sugar to rule out insulinoma?  It can cause similar
signs, though stress-induced ulcers are pretty common under these
circumstances.
 
The carafate coats the stomach so eating is less painful.  The amoxi and
metronidazole kill the Helicobacter bacteria.  You might try a strictly
baby food chicken diet, as being bland and less irritating.
 
Hope this helps,
-Dr. Karen
 
DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is provided for general informational purposes only.  It is
in no way intended as a replacement for a consultation with a qualified
licensed veterinarian.  If you are concerned about your pet's health, you
should seek the advice of your regular veterinarian as soon as possible.
[Posted in FML issue 3470]