After almost 7 years of owning ferrets and having 11 currently, there's
still so much to learn! Dr. Burgess gave a presentation to the Oregon
Ferret Association meeting on Saturday. Among other things, I learned that
the reason Science Diet A/D is great for sick ferrets that require syringe
feeding is that the A/D liquifies, unlike most wet foods! No more clogged
up syringes!
 
Magellan has been "vomiting" for about 5 months. Dr. Williams helped my
vet and I get Magellan started on medication for helicobacter. Dr.
Burgess made me realize that I described the condition incorrectly.
Magellan is really regurgitating his food.  The food is not even making it
down to his stomach (he starts retching within about 30 seconds after
eating.) Then if he is unable to get the food down into his stomach after
about 30 seconds of retching, the food is expelled from his mouth.
 
We have been through the medication cycle 4 times now and soon as we stop,
he gets really sick again. Magellan was not able to eat much of anything
and had lost 1/2 a pound because he hated to eat but at the same time was
starving.  After some research, my current vet started him on twice a day
Pepto-bismol, Flagyl, Amoxycillin, and liquid Zantac. Since starting this
round of medicine on the 3rd of February, Magellan has only vomited only 3
times rather than every single meal. He still regurgitates at every meal
but manages to keep the food down. He's back up to his normal 1600 grams
but still won't touch hard food.  I'm wondering however if something else
could account for his problems.
 
Dr. Burgess described an extremely uncommon condition called
"megasophogus" (I hope that spelling is close.) The symptoms I described
to him were enough to make him think that Magellan *may* have this. Ever
since he got sick, I have been hand feeding him. Magellan will eat for
about 30 seconds and then his stomach starts pulsating and his neck gets
hard.  He acts like he is choking to death and his ears will turn red if
this goes on long enough. I have found that if I burp him by patting his
back and rubbing his stomach, he will let out (what sounds like) a big
burp and gurgling noise and then he can finish eating his soft food.  Is
this really the esophogus opening up and letting the food into the
stomach? My vet did a barium series on an empty stomach.  Magellan had no
problem passing the barium and there were no foreign bodies.
 
Dr. Williams or Dr. Weiss, can you shed any more light on this condition?
Also, I was really sad to hear about Oscar. I'm sure you miss him.
Dr. Williams, my private e-mail to you bounced.
 
BTW, Magellan also licks up his urine.  The the only ferret I have with
this disgusting habit. He's also the Alpha (when he feels good enough.)
 
        -Carla
[Posted in FML issue 1119]