Ok, I have to get this out while it is fresh in my mind... Around 10:00
pm Thur my ferret Ms Ellie (permanent foster from Barb C's shelter) got
a piece of kibble stuck in the roof of her mouth... nothing strange
about this since it does happen and she will throw her head back and
work her mouth trying to dislodge it... when I see it happening I will
just open her mouth and push it out... Good thing I keep her in the
play pen and was working on the computer next to the pen.. Ms Ellie has
some major medical issues such as a very bad heart condition, lg tumor
in abdomen, insulinoma, limited use of her back legs and no control of
her bowels and bladder... she knows she has to go but cannot get up the
energy to go to the box so she will just go whenever she has feeling
she has to go so that is the reason she is in the play pen.
So anyway....as I was working on the computer around 11:30 pm she was
making those motions again but with more panic thrown in.. I picked her
up and she wouldn't open her mouth... after forcing it open THERE WAS
NOTHING STUCK IN THE ROOF OF HER MOUTH.... SHE WAS CHOKING ON
SOMETHING!!! I couldn't see anything in the back of her throat and by
now she was really panicking and so was I...she was starting to go
limp, gasping for breath and I didn't know what to do!!! Crying didn't
help and I was losing her... no time to rush to vet...she wouldn't make
it...I was in major panic mode and for some reason I remembered reading
something several days ago on what to do for a choking ferret ... Isn't
it strange how in a crisis like this and you calm down some your mind
and memory sort of take over... What I read said to turn them upside
down and make thrusting downward movements and pat them on the back of
their shoulders... I was doing this and nothing was happening!!! Then I
starting patting harder on the back of her neck and suddenly she made a
gasping sound but the good kind because she was finally able to take a
breath!!! I could not find whatever it was she was choking on but I can
only assume it was a piece of kibble she dislodged from the roof of her
mouth and when she was throwing her head back the piece of kibble that
was stuck in the roof of her mouth went down her throat. If I wouldn't
of read that article about choking
I truly believe I would of lost her right in front of my eyes. I would
of tried the Heimlich maneuver but I would of been afraid of rupturing
the large tumor in her abdomen.
She will no longer get dry kibble... I will make it into a mush so the
pieces will be softer... She already gets soup twice a day with her
meds but what would of happened if I didn't notice what was happening
or I went to bed or was elsewhere... I really don't want to think about
it.. I think she has already taken some years off my life.... She is
such a beautiful, delicate little thing and I can't think of life
without her...
I am usually a lurker but this scared me sooooo bad that I wanted to
let everyone know to be aware when your ferret gets a piece of kibble
stuck in the roof of their mouth that when they struggle to dislodge it
something like this could happen... Sorry if some of this doesn't make
sense.. I am still shaking!
Jackie
Sierra, Furrari, Ms Ellie & Koda
At the bridge:
Taz, Opie, Harvey, Buster, Plato, Cybil, Simon, Coby, Peanut, Lexi,
Bandit, Mo, Echo, Precious, BumbleBear, Dominic, Mindy, Trance, Adrian,
Hershey, Honey, Laney, Voodoo, Wally, Sir Duke, Zipper, Duchess,
Snowflake, Cinnabun
Ferret Fun things:
http://jackiesdecals.webs.com/
Listia-free auction using credits!
https://www.listia.com
[Posted in FML 7563]
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