Hi Everyone!
 
I received much great advice last time i wrote about my ferrets pooping
behind the door in their room, so i figured that i would write again!
 
I have 4 ferrets, all under two years old.  I adopted Nala, 2, from a local
shelter about two months ago.  Nala, has adrenal disease and participated
in a Lupron study so she did not have the surgery but her symptoms have
ceased.  Nala is now in the process of growing in a nice silver coat and
she is looking better everyday!
 
I fell in love with her at the shelter because she is so slight (she only
weighs one pound - on a good day!) and she is the most hyper, spastic
ferret I have ever seen!  She can jump three feet in the air and lives her
whole life on fast forward!  I love her!  She does eat, as much as my other
ferrets, I assume that because she has so much energy, that is why she is
so small.
 
Anyway, shortly after bringing her home, I began to notice that she was
much more withdrawn, sleeping all the time, no energy.  If I hadn't known
better, i would have thought that I adopted my dream lap-ferret!
 
In addition to this lethargy, she had a sort of rattling in her throat -
like a wheezing.  After taking her to my vet and having a battery of tests
and an x-ray done, it was found that my little princess has a big swollen
heart!  The poor thing began taking furosemide, 12.5 mg.  This is a
diaretic that will make Nala expell the fluid that builds up in her heart
in other ways.  I was told to give her 1/4 a tablet two times a day.  Since
starting this medication, Nala is back to her devious self and I love her
more and more everyday!
 
Nala will require this medication daily for the rest of her life to keep
her heart from building up too much fluid.  i do not have a problem with
paying for or administering the medication to her (she loves the "treat'
she gets when I put it in ferrevite).  I am having trouble breaking these
already very small pills up into 4 servings!  Half the time they crumble.
This is very difficult.
 
i was wondering if anyone else has a suggestion, perhaps a place were I
can get smaller dosages of this medication or maybe an easier way to cut
the pills.  Currently i am using a sharp knife, and i have also tried just
using my fingernails.
 
Thanks for your help!
lisa and business
[Posted in FML issue 2797]