Sometimes your vet may give you a written prescription for your ferret to
be filled by your pharmacist.  Most vet hospitals dispense a lot of the
medication themselves, but sometimes you will be given a prescription and
that happened to me for one of mine a few weeks ago.
 
The prescription was for Lasix. diuretic y'all have seen mentioned on these
pages many times.  When I picked up the prescription, I noted that the
directions were to give 2 ML twice a day.  AWK!  I called the pharmacist and
told her I thought that should be 0.2 mL twice a day.  She inisisted that my
vet had written the prescription for 2 ML (same as 2 cc's).  I told her that
this was prescribed for a 3 pound ferret.  She said she would call my vet,
which she did and called me back to apologize.  She did not see the *dot* in
front of the 2 until she looked really hard - the Rx was not written 0.2,
but .2. which probably is why she mistook it.  Some put a 0 before the
point, and some do not.
 
Had I not known and given my ferret 2 mL of Lasix, it would have been
lethal.  My ferret would have died - and it probably would never have been
caught that it was a wrong dosage.
 
So, moral to the story -- if your Vet gives you a prescription, please ask
him/her to write down on separate piece of paper the dosage and times to
administer.  This should be done anyway.  If you have absolutely any
question at all - ask you vet to explain or show you.
 
Sometimes a dropper is not furnished and a tuberculin syringe can be used
when administering elixer or liquid meds.  The syringe measurements are
broken down into 10ths - so you will see markings with a point before the
number.  Under that number are lines that break into 10ths again.  So, if
your instructions, for example, are to give 0.25 -- you would fill the
syringe to .2 and 5 lines up half way to .3.  The mid line is extended a
bit.  Breaking down and giving medications by liquid measurement can be
hard at times.  So, if you are not sure - call your vet or re-check with
pharmacist.
 
REMINDER - Hope everyone has a very happy fourth of July and your ferrets
stay healthy.  If you should have a nursing care question, I can be reached
24 hours a day at 703-765-4353.  If I don't answer, please leave your
number - repeat it twice - and I will get back to you.  If you are really
long distance, I may have to return call collect-been getting flack for my
phone bills!  I always pick up my phone during the night.
 
Cheers, Meg
[Posted in FML issue 2359]