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From:
"Diana J. Anderson" <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 28 Oct 1996 00:45:14 -0600
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Hi, everyone.
Ferret math hit me hard a few weeks ago, so I went to the pet store "just to
look".  I had every intention of looking into adopting one of the Fredonia
rescues, but The Fickle Finger of Ferret Fate had other ideas.  There were
I'd guess about 15 ferrets on display the evening I visited the store.  They
were in the usual fish-tank and pine shavings set-up.  Most of them were
tiny--8 to 12 weeks old--and all were MF.  There was one poor guy in this
tiny tank--a dark sable male with a little white bow-tie who looked to be
about 6 months old.  He was huddled in one corner trying to *hide* from the
rambunctious babies.  He looked as if he might go right 'round the bend at
any moment.  When I lifted him out to give him a break, he looked *so
thankful*, and my heart was his in an instant.
 
He was fairly calm in the store while I held him and looked him over, but
the minute we got in the car he was all curiosity.  He wanted to see
*everything*!
 
I was pretty horrified, though, at the conditions under which he had been
living for most of his life.  the fish tank he was in with so many other
ferrets was no bigger than 2 ft. x 2ft, and when I got the grubby little
guy home and into the tub I was appalled to discover a wad of *chewing gum*
stuck to his little backside to one side of his tail!  I had to cut it out,
so now he has a bald spot!  :-(
 
The next thing I noticed, and this is the vet question, was that his stools
were *very* large and dry.  I talked to my vet about it when I took him in
for a check and a distemper booster, and she thought maybe it was
"Mega-Colon" (?), a condition where the colon is enlarged due to prolonged
constipation.  She said she'd seen it in cats, but never ferrets, but
thought maybe that's what we're dealing with.  Her Rx was an eighth of a tsp
of Metamucil in his ferretone until his stools look more normal.  I just
wondered, since Metamucil is vegetable fibre, if a) this daignosis sounds
logical to the FML vets, and b) Metamucil is a good treatment.  He is eating
Marshall's, and probably some Sci.  Diet and Iams, since I am mixing the
three.  (finicky ferrets...) Other than this, and a little cough, (related??
I'm calling my vet Mon.  a.m.  to discuss it.), Bongo, as I've named him, is
settling in very nicely.  He takes *absolute* advantage of every opportunity
to dook and joy-dance and wrestle with his brother and sister, who are
enjoying getting to know him.
 
Any suggestions about Bongo's doodles :-> and coughing will be much
appreciated!  Thanks in advance!
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Didi Anderson
[log in to unmask]
 
an' da fuzz-babes,
Rascal & Dandy and now Bongo!
 
"It never pays to kick a skunk."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Posted in FML issue 1736]

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