Dear folks -
 
I'm writing to you about Slinky, who is in really bad shape right now.  I
could really use some advice on what to do.
 
Two weeks ago, Slinky & Pogo spent a week with a friend who has two healthy
ferrets.  Slinky got the runs shortly after getting there - no great
surprise, he's always had a weak system.  New surroundings, new animals -
could easily be stress related.  After he got back home, things started to
clear up, then seemed to get worse last friday.  Over the weekend I gave him
Kaopectate to firm up the stools - this only seemed to make it worse.  His
bowel movements were pure liquid, and when he relieved himself you could
hear the gas.  He also became more lethargic, and his apetite appeared to
decrease.  He seemed well hydrated, and I gave him pedialyte to keep
electrlytes in him.
 
He went to the vet on monday; Flagyl was prescribed.  The vet could feel the
gas in his bowels, but he was alert and active.  He couldn't stand, and
wouldn't take the flagyl.  The next day we switched him to Pepto Bismol and
a dose of liquid amoxycillan, both of which we have gotten him to take (with
some coersion).
 
However, his apetite has decreased again, and he has become very lethargic.
Wed. night he was noticeably thinner.  I made him some duck soup from water,
his food, and strawberry Ensure - he took a few licks, but wouldn't take any
more from me.  he does not appear to have eaten anything else.
 
Today I took him back to the vet, who was going to give him some sub-
cutaneous fluids.  They gave him an anesthesia to do an X-ray, and found
nothing other than a gassy bowel and thickened intestinal lining.  They did
feel a firm mass in his abdomen, so they did an exporatory surgery and fond
an enlarged lymph node in tissue surrounding the intestines, and the
intestines inflamed throughout.  His stomach and pancreas were normal.
 
As of tonight, he is still very groggy and pretty weak.  He shows no
interest in eating.  I offered him some nutrical (which he has never been
given before) - he took one lick and moved away as rapidly as his wobbly
legs would take him.
 
So - I have a critter with an unknown ailment, who won't eat, is very thin,
and is coming out of a surgery.  Help guys - what's he got and what should
I do?
 
Best - Mason, Pogo, and a very sick little Slinky
[Posted in FML issue 1457]