Wow, I'm falling a little behind in getting to my mail, including ferret stuff.
 
[You think you're behind?  Sheesh!]
 
I sure don't want the list to think I dropped off the earth - here are a few
comments:
 
Re Katie and Bandit and lack of a cool car: I'm in the same boat...err...car.
I get pretty freaked seeing how poorly ferrets seem to react to heat - they
look absolutely pathetic in a hot car - panting and obviously in discomfort.
I like Mike's idea of getting a cooler, though I really think that you will
need the type that can take an ice pack in the lid.  (Or at least a regular
cooler to which you can attach (Velcro sounds like the ticket) a "blue ice"
container).
 
I don't know for sure how well ferrets can sense temperature variations - it's
obvious they react, but not sure they know what they are reacting to.  For
example, on a hot summer day I've observed that ferrets don't necessarily
hang out in an airconditioned area when they have access to it - I've seen
them look rather uncomfortable in the heat but make no move to stay in the
cooler area.  They won't avoid the cooler area - they just don't seem to use
it in preference to the hotter area.  My point here is that you may need
a box with air holes and a lid, since perhaps Bandit wouldn't be too
cooperative staying in there on his own (though a hot car is probably quite
a bit hotter than a hot house).
 
Also, Katie, yes, far as I know Dr. Rosenthal is not subscribed to this list.
But she can download the issues if she would like, and I gave her a few
as hardcopy, so perhaps it will whet her appetite.
 
 
Nancy, sure was a relief to find out that Percy didn't have an adrenal tumor.
Sounds like you went through some roller-coaster emotions - heck, it ain't
easy!  But, it also seems to me like you did all the right things and it
all paid off in the end.  My best to you both (and Bree too).
 
About a ferret's temperature - 106 is NOT normal! (I don't think ANY animal
has a normal temp THAT high - think they top out at about 104).  101 or so
is normal for a ferret, though when asleep that can drop quite a bit (like
to 95 or so - Percy must have been downright COLD at 90!)
 
 
Thanks to Brian and Nancy and Katie and everyone else for their well-wishes
to Slink.  Here's the latest update:
 
Over a week ago, Slink had yet another round of dilation (balloon and tube)
therapy to expand her esophagus.  This was more prophylactic than the others,
since her esophagus hardly had any signs of a stricture at that point.
 
For some reason though, Slink was pretty out of things after the procedures.
She was weak and didn't seem too in touch.  A day or so later her pneumonia
got MUCH worse - she had fever and her respiratory rate when through the roof.
(over 60 inhalations/minute during SLEEP - normal is 20-25 or so, she had been
doing 30 for the previous week).  She was placed on an additional antibiotic
and within a couple of days, she was much improved.  A couple of days more,
and she was strong enough to drive me crazy by attempting (with much success)
to wriggle out of her bandages.   And, if I wasn't already crazy, I had to
feed her via stomach tube every few hours.
 
Anyhow, I'm giving her more by mouth, but she still is having LOTS of
difficulty eating - almost as if the stricture was still present.  Everyone
is just guessing at this point - not sure what is going on.  There might be
nerve damage preventing the normal functioning of the esophagus, there might
be an irritation preventing function, there might be something mechanically
wrong - who knows?
 
In a day or two Slink goes back to the Animal Medical Center.  Another
flouroscopy and a barium series may help reveal the cause of her troubles.
No matter what it is , it MIGHT get better on its own - and it certainly
does not seem to be getting worse, though it is still a real hazard since
the food entering her nose and lungs perpetuate her pneumonia and put her
at a risk of choking.
 
Well, that's today's news.  Will keep you posted.  Thanks for your interest.
 
Bill
 
[Posted in FML issue 0258]