Five years old is about like a human being 50 so certainly not old for
surgery, and it sounds like that approach may very well be needed to find
the cause.  If there are stones (which may be large or may be more like a
slush due to small size) your vet will need to have that stones tested to
see what type they are because the approaches to prevent recurrence are
different (sometimes opposite) for different types.  Struvite are the
more common stones but rates of cystine stones increasing.
 
The new study on cystine stones (cystine uroliths) in ferrets is being
coordinated by
Dr. Michelle Hawkins VMD DABVP (Avian) who your vets can reached at:
2108 Tupper Hall, University of CA, Davis, CA 95616
1-530-752-1363 (phone)
[log in to unmask]
 
Please, make very sure that your vet has this information.
 
Seriously think about that exploratory; it would be a shame if she (and
you) had to go through this for 3 years when there may be a fix.
 
It is asked that everyone pass the study's contact information on to
their vets, please.  It's an important study and no ferrets are hurt in
doing it; the researchers are using tissue which would be taken, anyway,
from ferrets who are being treated and studying the stones, tissue, and
medical records of the ferrets.
 
Is it actual vomiting or regurgitation?  If regurgitation then checking
for MegaE is very important.  For vomiting then causes including: a
mobile blockage in stomach which does not block fully such as a large
furball (BTW, these can cause liver and even pancreatic inflammation if
they get large enough and throw off the blood tests.), ulcers, and more.
 
When allergies occur chicken and sometimes all poultry can be seen as the
causes pretty often.  I've heard of one who couldn't have beef, either.
In such cases, though, usually IBD is seen rather than vomiting.
 
Helicobacter is an interesting thing.  In human studies (same genus of
bacterium but different species) it turns oout that while getting rid
of H. pylori reduces rates of ulceration and of stomach malignancy it
increases rates of esophageal erosion and malignancy there possibly
because it reduces the acidity of reflux.  There is an interesting
article in the latest Scientific American.
 
Treatments for Helicobacter include: Amoxi or Clavamox, with Biaxin and
Carafate (with Carafate given displaced in time from the others), Amoxi
or Clavamox with Flagyl/Metronidazole and a source of bismuth (such as
Peptobismol) to give a boost and at times also Carafate (displaced in
time from other meds).  Sometmes a period of Carafate only will be used
first to bandage the ulcer well before the stress of antibiotics is
begun.
 
Try meat baby foods or a/d for the sick-food.  Yes, I think an
exploratory could well make sense of the treating vet thinks that it's
time.  We've certainly been there with two of ours who had similar
symptoms.
 
--Sukie (who loves exploring websites and is not a vet but has had
ferret family members for 24 years)
 
[Moderator's note: The links below are part of Sukie's "signature";
some are not ferret-related.  BIG]
 
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/8716/  and
http://www.ontrmuseum.org/ (The Ferret Club's seal looks like a cross
between a cat and a fox.  I suspect they use the armored vehicle, the
Ferret.)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&e=7&u=/ap/
tsunami_finding_putri  (goodnews)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/
20050119/od_nm/odd_britain_lubricant_dc
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4181799.stm
http://www.ivillage.com/pets/other/ferret/articles/
0,,261281_40842,00.html (ferret and Peterson Air Force Base)
http://www.progressive.org/webex/wxmc120801.html (What?  You are a
critter organization?  Better not seek animal stamps instead of flag
ones in this post office.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41511-2005Jan1.html
http://www.sundayherald.com/40592 (Wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years?
Boy, has your room and board bill mounted up.)
http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1001428
"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us
from the animals...except the weasel."
  -- Homer, The Simpsons
[Posted in FML issue 4765]