To Chris Concerning Urinary Tract Infections:
 
>I have recently become concerned that Scooter might be suffering from a urinary
>tract infection, and am interested in what people on this list, especially
>veterinarians, might have to say.
 
>He's started going to the bathroom in weird places, first of all.  A couple
>weeks ago, he urinated on my desk. This weekend, I caught him peeing on an
>antique wooden chest at my parent's house, and this afternoon, he peed on the
>couch not ten minutes after being stopped just in time from pooping on the
>dining room table (don't worry, he was supervised while on the table. That's
>how I caught him in time).  I wonder if he might sometimes be having trouble
>holding it long enough to use  a litterpan.  He's gotten much better about the
>pans, so the sudden nature of this change, along with the fact that it's now on
>the furniture, makes me wonder.
 
Chris -
 
        While there is a possibility of urinary tract infection, this seems to
me more like a behavioral problem.  Ferrets with UTI's often pee frequently, due
to the irritation associated with them.  The best way to tell, however, is to
see your vet and have him check it out.  Have you notcied any discharges from
the sheath or blood in the urine?  Also, his desire to defecate on the table
signals a more behavioral slant....
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0869]