Hi,
 
I have to go give Gilly & Falcon their force-feedings right away but just
have to speak up on this issue about Prednisone.  I am very surprised to see
soooo many folks having such horrific problems giving it to their babies.  I
have not had a real problem with it at all.  There is one thing to know tho
that I learned from experience.  Different manufacturers products may also
taste different.  I know there is a white pill out there and an orange pill
too.  YOU DO NOT WANT THE ORANGE TRUST ME!  My kids 1st had the white and
did real good then we got the orange when the vet changed on me and they
hated it, so I had my vet call in a prescription to a local people pharmacy
that carried the white (MUCH cheaper by the way, 50 pills are like $4.99)
and no problems with it again.  Now when a have a lot of kids needing a med
I have him call it to the pharmacy every time to save a lot of money.
Amoxi, Cephalexin etc..... most anything can be bought there instead of the
vets so this can really help a shelter out a lot.
 
I give about 1/6 of a 5 mg tablet that I cut up with a pill cutter.  We
tried to do 1/8 pieces but it is almost impossible to cut that small and be
very accurate.  I have a cutter that is round and about 3 inches high or so
and has a compartment in the bottom to hold the meds etc... I take the 1/6
piece of pill and lay it on the circular, flat top then use a butter knife
or any other flat metal instrument and lay it on the pill, cupping my hand
around the circle to keep any of it from flying away if it tries to, and
then press the metal down to crush the piece of pill.  Any that is not
powder now I crush again until it is.  I scrape across it carefully with the
metal edge to release any powder now stuck to the plastic top so they get a
full dose.  I then spread out the powder as evenly as I can all over the top
so that it is a fine layer and then get my baby in my hands that needs it.
As they watch I pour out of my little dispenser some ferretone all over the
top of the powder as much as I can without it spilling over the sides.  I
hold it up to their face and they lick it all up.  If they find a spot that
had more powder in it and shake their head from the bitterness I then add a
little more ferretone to that spot and they go on licking it up until it is
all gone.  This has worked beautifully on all the kids here that have had
surgeries so far and that has been a fair number.  Only when the ECE struck
and Gilly and Falcon felt so cruddy did they refuse this and so I just put
the flat of my finger in it and then they licked it off my finger until it
was all gone.  After they lick it all up we follow it with a straight
ferretone chaser from the little dispenser.  Lightstar takes Prednisone
daily for what appears to be some arthritis and Otee has taken it since his
surgery over 2 months ago and they still lick it right up.  When I had the
orange pills they threw a fit and would not take it at all.
 
Mom and I are so very happy to tell you all that we do have two bright spots
to report during this most terrible of times.  Otee seemed to understand
shortly after the kids all got sick that Mommy and Grandma could no longer
force feed him as often etc... and take care of all his bros and sissy's
too.  So believe it or not he began to eat on his own the third day of the
ECE after we gave him some sub-q fluids for the 1st time.  He was not real
dehydrated but I hoped if we could get him fully hydrated he would feel
better enough to just maybe start eating on his own and unbelievably he did.
When I returned from Washington I honestly did not know who he was when I
picked him up.  He is no longer as big as he once was but still has a good
sized full feeling belly on him.  Perfect weight now I think as he was
always more pear shaped before and chubby, he is no longer odd shaped either
but like a ferret should be.  He has gotten in a new coat that is shorter
and sooooo soft and has more of the silver gray to it than before.  All four
paws are now cream colored and the very end tip of his butt and total tail
are also pure cream.  He is gorgeous and tho his poodies are still not
normal at all he is doing so well.  We are relieved and thrilled for him to
say the least.  Miss Itsy Wiggle may now have to lose the Itsy part of her
name as when I picked her up after returning I did not know her either since
she is a much bigger ferret now than she was before.  Everyone that had her
before said they tried to put weight on her to no avail but somehow here she
has done it all by herself!!!  We will weigh her asap but before she was a
mere 1.2 lbs..  I am still so shocked and excited at this turn of events.
She even shivers much less now:-)
 
My special 7 are doing better now and have settled right back in.  Yacko is
not biting like heck anymore as she was when we 1st retrieved her and all
seem pretty happy.  Only two kids worry me at the moment and those are
Falcon and Gilly his sister.  They have lost too much weight and also do not
want to drink like they should yet.  So it is force-feedings and
force-waters and sub-q's when needed for them for now.  Somehow I guess I
missed the fact that ECE can linger for even as much as 6 months keeping the
ferrets ill.  No one else I spoke to realized this either I guess.  Boy I
hope it doesn't last that long here!!  Have to go do the feedings now.
THANKS SO MUCH to those that have written or sent donations or supplies
recently.  I think there are about 5 of you I need to thank so badly for
your donation or supplies sent but it may be a bit before I have time to get
to you all.  Until then know I think of each of you every day and am ever so
grateful for my knowing loving, caring and generous folks like each of you!!
TNT!!
 
*********************************************************
*           Kelleen Andrews & The FANG GANG!            *
*   Founder & Operator of FANG Ferret Shelter & Club    *
*       (Ferret Association of Neverending Glee)        *
*         405 S. Orchard   Boise, Idaho  83705          *
*         208-342-7292    [log in to unmask]         *
*********************************************************
*    I'll take a good animal over a good mate anyday!   *
*    All they want is lots of love and great chow.      *
*********************************************************
[Posted in FML issue 1708]