>From:    Michelle Matta <[log in to unmask]>
>I have a 6 year old who has a swollen vulva due to adrenal disease.  She's
>had lupron, and the vulva goes up and down.  While its enlarged, does
>anyone know if this effects urination, or complicates urination?
 
I've never seen any problems with this, except perhaps an increased
susceptibility to urinary tract infections.  Nestle' simply had a large
vulva her whole life, and she never had any trouble urinating (if anything,
she had an easier time of it than her less-endowed sister, Hershey).
 
To other people who recently wrote about an enlarged vulva, like with Nes,
some ferrets simply have a bigger one than others.  If it's always been
that way, I wouldn't be too worried.  If it suddenly changes (and this goes
for any sudden change in a ferret's health), *get the ferret to the vet,
ASAP*.  This point can't be stressed enough.  Nobody on this list can see
your ferret, and even if we somehow know exactly what is wrong the moment
we see your question, the turn-around between when you write it and you
see our responses is going to be about 48 hours.  Your ferret could be
dead by then if it's something serious.  I think this point was in the
FAQ, although it's been a long time since I looked, and it bears repeating
anyway.  If your ferret might be sick, go to the vet first.  Ask here
later.
 
>From:    Carol Ellison <[log in to unmask]>
>About a month ago she took herself on a little outside adventure that
>took us about a week to find her ...
>But now about 3 weeks later she seems to be loosing weight, she's eating
>but not as much as before and absolutely refuses to eat any ferret food,
>only cat food    ...
 
When my little girls wouldn't eat, there were times I just had to hand-feed
them.  Even less-favorite foods became quite palatable when offered as
special treats, and directly from my fingers (or, in a couple of extreme
cases when they were ill, directly from my mouth).  In fact, only foods
with a high garlic content, or extremely foul-tasting medications would be
rejected when served a la me.  As another thing to check, ferret food does
age and spoil, so maybe you should just get a fresh bag; just because it
smells OK to your nose doesn't mean it will to a ferret's.
 
It also sounds to me like she might have worms.  Any vet should be able to
check a stool sample for eggs and larvae.
 
Also, again, listen to your veterinarian.  I'm a medical researcher, not a
clinician, and I haven't seen your ferret.  What I've said is sound advice,
but not personal medical advice.
 
Dr. Eric A. Schwartz
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 3092]