Hello All,

I have been trying to find out what might be wrong with Pecan now for 9
days. I have posted on the FHL to no avail. Here is what I posted and
then at the bottom is an update. The link to the pictures are going to
take you to yahoo so in order to see them you will have to sign in.
Sorry! I don't have any other place to put them. They are actually thru
the FHL. See Red Itchy Ferret

<http://pets.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/photos/browse?b=17&m=t&o=5>

Pecan had a left adrenalectomy on Nov 9. Bounced back great, was on 5
days of Amoxi. post op. Day after thanksgiving started dry heaves and
was itchy all over, but not red. Temp never was over 103.1. Feed around
the clock for 3 days, duck soup and Gerbers. By Monday seemed okay just
itchy. He was never itchy before the surgery. We had to use the Tenns.
Panel to verify Adrenal.

Last night (Saturday Dec 2) I came home to him itchy, red bumps
everywhere he had been shaved for surgery plus about a quarter inch.
His pubis? (outer part that you can see of his penis) was red and
slightly enlarged. His anus is swollen and red. Ears very itchy and
red. Bowel movements like pudding. Called where he had the surgery
but no ferret vet in until Monday. I gave him 1cc of oral children's
benydryl. 0.03 buprenex (3mg/ml) sub Q. Put Aloe on the red bumps. He
ate okay duck soup. Slept soundly but this AM back to where we were
last night but has now added a fever of 104.5. I just gave him another
1cc of the benydryl and fed him. I left a message for the attending vet
(for today) last night and am still waiting on a return call. They have
been open over 2 hours now. What else can I do for him? What is going
on? FYI his hair is now over a half inch long where he was shaved so
I wouldn't think it was caused by hair growth. I have called 4 local
clinics but nobody ferret knowledgeable available. The hospital that
did the surgery is 3 hours away. thanks, Mary Jo

PHOTOS POSTED! See Red itchy ferret photos. Please go look at these
and give me some advice. Here is what has been done since the previous
posting.

His fever topped out Saturday night at 106.3. I wrapped him in cold
towels and got the fever down to 104 then normal by Monday.

Went to local vet and did skin scrapings, negative for mites etc. Put
on 0.9 mg of Baytril 2X day subQ. That was Monday(Dec 4th). So far
after 4 injections I can't tell any difference. He has lost 12% body
weight. Very thirsty, now grinding teeth so he is getting carafate.
Still eating but much less at a time so I have increased his feedings.
Feet are turning yellow and are hardened. Soaked him in Epson salts and
put bag balm on his feet. Started him on 1mg of prednisolone 2X aday by
mouth this afternoon. Ideas anyone?? ANYTHING? Ever see this before???
I am starting to lose hope for his survival.

Sunday Dec 10th- Fever has now been gone for about 3 days but the
redness has gotten much worse since the pictures were taken. The
redness is now over his entire body. Deeper red on the belly but still
very red. Looks almost burnt. Turning brownish in places. His eyes are
just little slits in a sea of redness and puffy. Chin is swollen. His
feet aren't yellow now but are swollen quite a bit and brick hard. I
am massaging them with bag balm an hour a day. I gave him a bath with
tea tree oil on Wednesday. Helped very little if at all. Friday gave
him a bath with Aveeno. Helped some. Today I am going to bath him with
Epi-Soothe. You can feel his skin kind of lifting off under the hair on
his neck and other areas but it isn't scaly or flaking. Just like it is
bubbly but still attached. The pustules that were present Monday seem
to have disappeared. The redness on his back is splotchy. Not solid.
If you put a fingertip down you will be touching about 5-7 specs of
raised redness. His anus is protruding and swollen. Bowel movements a
little soft but the color and form is okay, uncomfortable to defecate.
Urination seems okay. He is very tired. shivers quite a bit now. Still
eating. I have him on a half a jar of natures goodness turkey gravy
baby food with water every 6 hours sometimes more often if he doesn't
eat it all I wait 2 hours and get him to finish it. He has strength
to argue about the meds but isn't moving around much. He is just so
uncomfortable and itchy. Here is a recap of meds
1.0 cc childrens benydryl every 6 hours
1.0 mg prednisolone every 12 hours
0.908 mg of Baytril subQ every 12 hours
carafate with food

He is going in for a skin biopsy tomorrow but with him on these meds I
don't know what if anything they will be able to find. He has no nasal
or eye discharge. Have you ever seen anything like this?? Please help.
I just don't know what else to do. If you pray he certainly could use
those. He is pretty exhausted now, I am so scared he may give up.

Thanks for reading this far and for any advice you might have,
MJB
(Mary Jo)

[Posted in FML 5453]