Hello Fellow Fert Friends,
 
Our little guy Smokey has had quite a spell for the past 2 months.  We
feared that he had heliobacter, but explatory surgery revealed that he has
"Hyper-eosinophilia syndrome, gastric".  The Veteranery School at the
University of Tennessee is to be commended for its diagnosis.  Dr. Bruce
Williams has been a great help and encouragement and deserves our thanks
too.
 
This syndrome is a condition of the blood which is usially brought on by an
allergic type reaction.  We have been feeding him by syringe every 3 hours
for over two months now, and experimenting with different foods to see if he
would show improvement.  I think we hit the right one.  Nearly all Ferret
and Cat foods are made with fish meal, and Ferritone has Cod Liver Oil in
it.  It seems that Smokey most likely has an allergy to fish.  He is now on
a chicken base kitten food and is finally showing some improvement.
 
He has good days and bad.  He has become so spoiled by being held so much,
that he won't even drink water from his bowl, until it comes off of my
finger first.  I carry him in a little fleece lined ferret bag almost
everywhere I go.  He sure is a HAM!  He sticks his little head out when he
hears people, and everyone has to stop to look at him.  He looks like a PUNK
ferret with his belly and ankles of all four paws shaved.
 
I read every Digest, but have little time to write.  Thank you all for being
so patient.  I still haven't had the opportunity to personally answer the
many wonderful posts I received and the very helpful advice.  Again, until I
get around to writing, THANK YOU!
 
Teresa
 
P.S.  Ferret Math  has hit our house too.  We have added Digger and
Bubba to Bandit, Natasha, Lily, and Smokey.
Teresa Glasgow                    [log in to unmask]
 
               "Ferret's Friends"
[Posted in FML issue 1856]