Dear Jennifer-
You wrote regarding your ferrets state of health.  The diagnosis is correct
in my estimation - mind you I am NOT a vet, rathere a shelter Mom, but the
cause you seem to have missed-- most probably gastric ulcer.
 
>1) ocassional diareha
>2) won't eat solid food
>3) paw at their mouth (vet says due to naseua)
>4) lost weight
>5) weak but still walking
>6) vet ran a cbc panel this morning here before he refered me to dr.hudson
>    in cary nc the results were:
>
>    a) low red blood cell count a lot under the normal red count
>    b) low white blood cells just slightly lower
 
It is a result from stress-- we see this often in ferrets, especially older
ones- 3-4 yrs who become displaced.  Ulcers form from the stress, elevated
stomach acids cause this-- then the nausea.  lack of appetite.  As the ucler
gets involved it eats into the stomach wall, causing bleeding , often they
hit a blood vessel or capillary and the ferrets bleed to death -- a bleeding
ulcer is what depletes the blood--
 
you need to get a grip on this and turn it around ASAP!
 
It is imperative that you treat the ferrets with an ulcer patch-- carafate
or sucralfate (administer 15-20 mins prior to food), also at this point
amoxycillin would help, start feeding a duck soup with extra vitamins, pet
tinic or hi-vite as well.  Pepto Bismal should also help ( 20 mins.  after
food)... this needs to be done for 30 days anyway to help beat this
condition.... It is a lot of work-- but well worth the treatment.  Feel free
to email me-- in the mean time please speak with your vet in regards to the
ulcer regimen.
 
Sending well wishes you way---
alicia,
a shelter MOm
[Posted in FML issue 2293]