Last Saturday night, I brought a new kit home.  Since there is only one
shelter I know of close to me, and they didn't have any adoptable ferrets,
I got my kit from Marshall Farms.  On Sunday night, one of my older
ferrets, Brutus, acted like he didn't feel good.  Monday morning, he was
gagging or vomiting.  I couldn't see anything that he was vomiting, but I
knew something was wrong and immediately took him to my regular vet.  He
seemed OK when I got to the vet, so the vet said just to watch him.
During all this time, I had been reading the ferret FAQ and other sites
about what might be wrong with him.  I pretty much figured out once the
green stools started that it was ECE.  I made sure he was getting enough
water, and went to Wal-Mart, and got him some Gerber chicken baby food,
Pedialyte, and Pepcid AC, just as was on the FAQ.  While he wouldn't eat
much of the baby food, I gave him Ferretvite to get him through, and I
believe the Pepcid AC (10 mg in 10 cc water solution) helped tremendously
as he doesn't seem to have developed any mouth ulcers and he seems to be
feeling much better.  I called my vet yesterday (he doesn't have much
experience with ferrets, and I don't know any others that do), but they
didn't know what else to do for him, and I asked them about Amoxicillin,
but they won't give it to him unless he develops respiratory problems.  I
know because of what Dr. Williams has written what to do, and how to help
Brutus, and for that I'm very thankful.  I have also been checking him for
dehydration, and he seems to be doing much better, and I haven't ever
gotten the "sticky" skin on top of his shoulders, it always goes right
back.  I know I'll still need to watch him, and it isn't over, but without
Dr. Williams, I wouldn't have even known what to watch for or what to do
for him.  Thanks Dr. Williams, for taking the time to write about what
might be wrong, and what to do to help.
 
Kristin Kuhlman
Selene, Brutus, and Ben (the new baby)
[Posted in FML issue 3630]