OK.  I'm at my wits end here.  I've got 2 sick, 1 maybe sick fuzzie.
They've been down with allergy/cold type symptoms for several weeks now.
Last week I took them to the vet, who, acting on my suspisions that the
symptoms were allergy related, put them all on 2.5 mg of prednisilone every
other day, and 1/5 mg antibiotic daily.  I'm not really seeing an
improvement and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions before our follow up
visit this week.  (I didn't have blood tests run last week--I still suspect
allergies, and am really poor right now and would like to avoid general
tests if I can look for something more specific...)
 
Symptoms are: SCHNITZEL, age 8.5: lots of sneezes, sort of congested cough.
Worse in the morning, worse on really humid, rainy days.  Not affected by
exercise--no decrease in activity level, some possible weight loss, but she
fluctuates a lot.  GEORGE, age 4.5: not too many sneezes, I think, but a
sort of congested cough/hack that could be a combination sneeze.  Also
noticably worse when he wakes up, and VERY bad on humid/rainy days.  Seems
to be sleeping alot, but could just be a reaction to his seriously increased
wrestling quotient since the arrival of DETINUE, age 5 mos.  Detinue doesn't
really have symptoms--occasional sneeze, which I think is normal since he's
cleaning my house of dustballs...
 
Symptoms started about the time I got the new ferret ( --he's a marshall
farms--Could he have brought something with him?  If so, why doesn't the
antibiotic seem to be working?.) The symptoms do seem to be a LITTLE better
on days when they get the prednisilone, but I really don't want to keep them
on that for too long--ferrets being so prone to adrenal problems as it is...
 
If it's just a cold, how long should it last?  (they've had colds
b/4--usually 10 days max.) I still think it might be allergies, mostly
because on days when my allergies are bad, their symptoms seem worse to me.
Possible allergy reactions: The new ferret?  I live on a river next to a
swamp and we've had lots of rain--mold levels are incredible.  I switched to
a new litter about the time I noticed things were really bad.  I also got a
bag of Iams Lamb and Rice and mixed it in with their normal Iams kitten
about the time I noticed things were bad.
 
ANYWAY--has anyone had experience with ferrets with allergies?  What about
other respiratory problems?  How should I be treating this?  I bought an air
conditioner (my first ever) yest.  and will have it installed today to help
reduce humidity/control mold and clean the air.  Has anyone ever had a food
allergy reaction to Iams Lamb and Rice?  What about litter--how would I know
if this is the cause?  HELP!  I'm really worried: though it seems to be
affecting their life but a little, it drives me nuts to hear them sniffing
and snorting and hacking their way around the house, with nothing I can do
about it.  [Vet also refuses to give Detinue his last distemper shot because
of possible household illness theory--I know it's unusual for multiple
ferrets to come down with something at the same time, but since he's the
only one with little or no symptoms, should this really be a concern?]
 
Jen
[Posted in FML issue 1598]