Could some kind sole please tell me what constitutes a "Sable" ferret.
Some have said the coloring ie: Brown etc; But according to the
dictionary it is the TYPE OR FUR that makes something "Sable".
 
Thomas
 
 Nancy, is Bree's abdomen small? ie: When you pick her up does she feel
scrawny towards the rear? Can you feel her back bones more so now than
before? Does pressing Bree's abdomen and under the rib cage reveal any
lumps? [Aside from 2 kidneys]? Some of the symptoms you describe
are quite common with a bowel or stomach obstruction. Rupert had ingested
a foam ear plug once and had done so quite some time before it was
discovered. He started losing quite a bit of fur which just happened to
coincide with shedding [making it less noticable that something was wrong]
he lost a bit of weight [which again I passed off as him "just looking
skinnier" because of shedding]. His appetite was normal all the way through,
with breif periods were he either didn't eat or ate more. It wasn't until
I actually checked him over did I notice that he seemed more boney, his
back seemed stiff [as if he was old - he is not yet a year old] after checking
his abdomen I discovered a lump. I was heartbroken, I figured for sure
it was cancer or cancer causing a bowel obstruction as Rupert NEVER eats
anything strange. Needless to say that after a trip to the VET and 2
operations later all is fine. He now has gained all his weight back and
feels even heavier than ever.  8-)
  One note though, if checking the lower abdomen reveals nothing out of the
ordinary you might wish to consider having an xray done of Bree's stomach,
that is the reason Rupert's problem went unoticed for some time... the
earplug was in his stomach and as such could not be "felt" and bowel
movements ranged from normal to practically water at times. It wasn't
until the ear plug descended and totally blocked the bowel did the
problem become apparent.
 
Best of luck,
Thomas
 
[Posted in FML issue 0448]