Does eating a cricket normally make a ferret sick?
 
I ask because Scrappie, my 2.5 year old female, ate a cricket either
Saturday or Sunday evening.  I didn't think much of it, since I've had cats
eat all sorts of insects with no harmful side effect.  So I forgot about it.
Then she started acting sick Monday night (she had dry heaves, wouldn't eat,
wouldn't poop, and wanted me to hold her ALL the time), so Tuesday morning,
we took her to the vet.  I had forgotten about the cricket and really
thought she must have a blockage.  The vet took X-rays, did an exam, all the
usual stuff, and couldn't find a definite blockage, but decided to give her
an enema and fluids.  The vet looked at the results of the enema, and
suspected helibactor (sp?).
 
So I get her back home, separate her from my other ferret and keep a close
eye on her.  She has a poop and I investigate thinking; I'm going to
discover the offending blockage, and I'm looking at what I believe is a
cricket (not very well chewed BTW).  The good part is that she's back to her
normal self, the bad part is, I may have just flushed a $100 cricket.  I'm
continuing the meds, just in case, but I am really wondering... is this
coincidence or what?
 
Rebecca
[Posted in FML issue 1796]