Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories, knowledge, feelings and
encouragement, and for just for caring about me and Rocky.

Since Rocky still wanted to eat his chew treats, my boyfriend thought
he just didn't want to eat his regular food and maybe would eat
something else. I didn't think so because he didn't even want ferretone
anymore and I tried several mixtures already. On Thursday evening my
bf had a bit of peanut butter on his finger, he gave Rocky a lick and
he loved it. So he dipped his finger into the food and Rocky licked it
off. For the next feeding, I put a little bit of peanut butter just for
flavor and smell into his soup and he ate from his bowl, sitting in my
lap. So I mixed up a very small amount of smooth peanut butter with
water and have been putting a little in his soup. He is now eating
normally!!! I will gradually phase out the peanut "sauce" when I'm
sure he's back to normal, though I don't think the small amount he's
getting will harm him.

This is what I think happened:

On Wednesday morning, after eating his food, I noticed Rocky eating
something on the floor so I took it away from him. I discovered it was
one of my Inderal Long acting capsules (beta blocker). I had left one
on the counter to put away and it must have fallen down. He ate less
than half of an 80mg tablet; I wasn't sure how much. I gave him some
laxative so it would go through him faster. He seemed fine. That night
he wouldn't eat his overnight meal and then the subsequent meals, and
of course was getting weak. I started syringe feeding him and I called
poison control. They said it was hard to say if the inderal had harmed
him, giving all of his medical conditions. They said that if he had
any kind of reaction, it would've happened in 20 min-2 hrs, but that i
should bring him to a vet, which I did. His BP and HR were fine, so she
didn't think the Inderal affected him. She said to keep syringe feeding
him until he ate on his own. She also said he looked a lot better than
his medical records.

I think he may have associated the taste of the Inderal with his food,
and/or, he got a stomach ache from the laxative I gave him and somehow
associated it with the smell of his food. Either that, or he finally
got sick of Bob's CG, which he's been eating for years, but exclusively
since he got insulinoma 2 yrs ago. When he still ate kibble, I had to
change brands every year because he'd get sick of it. Even before the
Inderal incident he was starting to eat less, particularly his
afternoon and overnight meal.

So for the time being, I think he's ok. I don't know how much longer
he'll be with me, but for now I'm happy that he's eating and acting
normally for a sick old ferret.

WARNING: I urge everyone not to do what I did--leave anything on a
counter that could roll off and be eaten by a ferret. He's never shown
any interest in any meds before, when he's sniffed them, but maybe
these time-release balls had a sweet smell, or the capsule itself.

QUESTION: He just started on Lupron. I was wondering if it is better
to have the monthly shot or is the 4-month shot just as good. It is
so expensive.

Thanks again, and Happy New Year to all!

Shron & Rocky

[Posted in FML 6204]