... and how do you tell the difference?  My tiniest girl, Gabrielle, is a
noisy sleeper.  This in itself wouldn't worry me, but she also, when she
was a kit, had several very frightening wheezing/asthma-like bouts when she
was awake.  One night I called the vet at midnight and actually held the
phone up to her -- she was awake -- so he could hear this awful noise.  It
was *that* loud.  And the noise she makes when she sleeps -- I can't tell
if it's snoring or wheezing.  The noise seems to be on the exhalation
rather than the inhalation, which in humans at least indicates asthmatic
wheezing (I know -- I have it too :P), *not* snoring.  And to me it just
plain *sounds* like the same kind of wheezing I do.
 
Can ferrets have asthma?  Has anyone ever looked into this?  Does anyone
know how it might be treated?  Or am I just overreacting?  I've asked the
vet, but they tell me they've never heard of an asthmatic ferret and and
always just say to "watch her."
 
It seems it's been worse lately, and she had an amazing sneezing fit the
other day, too.  It's got me worried -- in humans, asthma can kill!  But
other than this she is fine, healthy and playful with a good appetite.
 
If anyone can advise, I'd be very grateful.
 
-Tasha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My XF Fanfic Webpage:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/5368
 
Dean, School of Fanfic General Studies, XFU
DESK #59 of the Desk for Dana Fund
 
Please explain to me the scientific nature of The Whammy.
                                                        -- Dana Scully, FBI
[Posted in FML issue 2281]