The easiest way to ferret-proof your sofa is to staple some sort
of heavy material across the bottom.  (burlap/whatever and a
staple gun will do the trick)  The way we solved the problem was
take the legs off and build a 2x4 base around the perimeter.
If you don't mind a short sofa, just take the legs off and sit
it on the ground.
 
Between the cusions on the back is a bit more difficult.  What
I did there is take a tapestry needle (they are curved, making
it easier to do.   A regular needle would work), and some heavy
thread and sew the opening shut.  It was fairly time consuming,
but worked.  Of course, the ferrets did scratch at the sofa for
a day or two until they figured out that it was futile.  (Note:
if you sew them together down between the cusions, you won't be
able to see the fix.  :) )  You don't have to pull the stitches
too tight, as long as they are close enough together that the
little ones can't get through.
 
Now, for my news:
 
2 weeks ago (Tues) I noticed Percy had fairly severe diarrhea, and
was getting dehydrated, so, to the vet we go.  That night I
isolated everyone (not the easiest thing to do with 4 house-ferrets
in a one-bedroom apartment), and discovered Bree had it as well,
so the next day she went to the vet.  They both started out on
Amoxy and sub-q fluids.  By the weekend it wasn't any better, so
we switched to Albon.  On Monday night, Percy seemed to be doing
much better, but Bree was having a down night, so I gave Bree the
last fluid shot I had.  The next morning (Tues) I got up and
immediately went searching for Bree, since I was very worried about
her from the night before.  I found her, and gave her her medicine,
then did a cursory search for Percy and was unable to find her.  I
just figured she was sleeping somewhere, and would come out eventually.
Before I left, I knew I had to find her so I could give her medicine,
so I started searching in earnest.  I got more and more concerned when
I couldn't find her (she's not the type to sleep in unusual places).
Finally, I reached way under a dresser and felt something wet and
furry.  Of course I panicked, and yanked her out.  She barely flinched!
She was wet because she was laying in a puddle of her urine.  :(
I raced into the bedroom, threw all my vet records all over the
place looking for anything with a phone number on it, called them
to let them know I was coming in, then raced to the vet, not obeying
a single traffic law on the way, I'm sure.  By the time I got to
the vet she was completely limp and unresponsive.  Not moving at
all when I put her on the examining table.  But, I could see she
was breathing.  They started her on IV fluids and sugar, suspecting
a insulinoma crash (which she had never shown any signs of before).
I went home, certain I would never be bringing her home again, and went
into hysterics for the rest of the morning.
 
I had an appointment at 12:30, when the exotics vet got in, for Bree.
So, I went in certain that they were going to pull me aside into a
room and give me the bad news.  But, as I walked in, the vet that I
saw that morning saw me and called out from the back room "Look Mom!
We're doing better!"  And, there was Percy sitting up and looking
around.  Weakly, but alive!  :)  So, I took her out of the cage and
cuddled her until I was able to talk to my vet.  She stayed a the
vet for the rest of the afternoon until they could get her hydrated
enough to run some bloodwork on.  But she got to come home that
night.
 
The bloodwork came back negative for Insulinoma (and Lympho,
although I know Dr. Williams doesn't really rely on that test).
She did have high liver enzymes and one type of white blood
cell count.  (I don't have the paper with me.  :P )  It's
good that she doesn't have cancer, but now we aren't entirely
sure why she crashed.  The best theory is that she just got
dehydrated, and hadn't been eating well.  (I'm kicking myself
for not noticing I only had one fluid shot left, but I didn't
THINK she needed it.  She was acting better the night before.)
 
Then, on Thursday I picked her up and it struck me that she had
lost a LOT of weight.  So, we went back to the vet again.  She had
lost almost 100 grams, so I started force-feeding her Science Diet
A/D, prescription diet.  On Saturday I ran out of Albon, and my
vet decided it was time to discontinue that.  And, since Percy still
had the bad diarrhea she decided to try digestive enzymes.
 
(Oh, I forgot, at the beginning we started out using kaopectate.  On
about the 4th day we switched to Immodium.  When Percy crashed I
stopped using that for a while.)
 
About two days ago I started Percy on Immodium again, since her
diarrhea STILL isn't under control, and she's still weak.  Bree has
been back to herself since this Sunday.
 
Right now Percy gets ~15 CC's of A/D 4x a day, sub-q fluids 2x a day
(from an IV bag, so I'm not sure exactly how much it is.  Probably
around 15-20 CC's.  I just do it until the lump seems to be about
that much.), and Immodium (try for .6 CC, but she spits most of it
out.)  She has more energy than she had before, but that just
means she sleeps most of the time and fights more when I give her
her food.  It's more that she's more alert and less limp when I
pick her up.  Her weight has stabilized, but not gained.  And she
STILL has diarrhea (it's been over 2 weeks now!).  It's normal
colored, not bright green.  With the immodium it's more of a mush,
and not the really liquid stuff.  She doesn't have any appetite,
not even interested in raisins or cheerios.  :(
 
Anyone have any ideas?  I'm worried that her system can only take
this for so long, and she'll start going downhill again.  We're
at a loss for what to do now.
 
BTW, Percy is 6 and Bree is 5.  My younger two were unnaffected.
 
Thanks!
 
- Nancy
 
Nancy Hartman     Internet - [log in to unmask]      GEnie - n.hartman4
President, Delaware Valley Ferret Club | CIS Grad Student, U. of Delaware
 ***  Caregiver to Percy, Bree, Popcorn, & Scuttlebutt the ferrets  ***
  "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals" - Kant
 
[Posted in FML issue 0967]