Heather has been writing recently on the FML about her girl Diva who
had a blockage of unknown origin. Fortunately, the vet got it out
without surgery, but Heather still does not know what it was. The thing
is, often a blockage isn't really any particular object. It is often
an accumulation of fur. Since ferrets, unlike cats, can't cough up a
hairball, it could accumulate for a long time, and finally become so
obstructive that normal digestion won't occur and the ferret will no
longer eat normally. Accumulation of excess bacteria and infection or
even ulcers can also be caused by hair wads. Imagine how you'd feel
with something the size of a baseball lodged in your colon...

Hair wads are something where an ounce of prevention could be worth a
pound of cure. I serve soup daily to my ferrets, and include some plain
canned pumpkin in it. This helps to keep things cleaned out and prevent
blockages of hair before they can accumulate. Also, when one of my
ferrets is shedding, they get some extra plain canned pumpkin daily.
Normal daily amount for my ferrets is probably 1/2 teaspoon per ferret,
divided into 2 or 3 servings of soup.

Another thing that can be done for those who don't serve soup is to use
ferretlax, or a similar ferret-safe product, once or twice a week, and
a bit more for a ferret who is shedding.

Most of us are conscientious about clipping nails, cleaning ears, and
keeping teeth and gums clean. But I don't think many of us think enough
about keeping the digestive tracts clean as well. I know I didn't until
a few years ago, when a rescue that I took in started having some
problems, such as loss of appetite and bacteria-laden, small poops.
After 3 days of pumpkin and ferretlax, I was fortunate enough to get
him to pass an enormous hair wad. How he got it thru, I still don't
know, but he did an immediate turnaround after it was gone, and within
a couple of days he was doing great, and it was as if it was never
even there.

Jeff
In Loving Memory of Neo, Trinity, Morphy, Baby Girl, Dozer, Possum,
Pip, Pop, Sabrina, Minnie Mouse, Hunny, Misty, Frodo, Baggins, and
Mr. Parker
Caring for Luna, Boomer, and Zoomer 

[Posted in FML 7555]