Hi everyone! Its been crazy lately! I will try and keep this short <grin>
 
Danya -- good to hear from you, and welcome to Virginia!
 
To Chris with the possible digestive blockage -- I have a very good friend
whose ferret is obsessed with pencil erasers!  He had to have surgery to
remove the blockage!  Be very careful!  Jane ended up banning pencils from
her house.  I would go the the Star Ferret resource list for a ferret
friendly vet in your area.  If you suspect a blockage, the sooner it is
taken care of, the better.  I highly recommend a vet visit for Big Mimi.
 
Shelly -- almost sounds like ECE to me -- (I am not a vet!), but I have
lived with it for four years now.  He is in the best hands up there, and if
it truly is ECE, then supportive care is the key.  Good luck with your
little boy!
 
Ferret with urination problem -- I totally agree with Dick Bossart -- That
sounds just like a very set in urinary tract infection.  He really needs to
be seen by a vet, at least get some antibiotics in him, and try to find out
why he got the infection.  Its possible that he has a blocked urethra, if it
seems as if he is straining to pee.  That is a very serious condition, and I
hope that he is okay.
 
Melanie -- Cassidy is only 2 -- that seems young for insulinoma.  Pawing at
the mouth is a sign of stomach distress.  Is it possible that he got into
something that he shouldn't have?  Is he grinding his teeth?  He may have an
ulcer, which could certainly cause some of the symptoms that you describe.
What do his stools look like?  Are they black & tarry?  If so, that could
also be an indication of stomach problems.  It also sorta sounds like he had
a seizure -- I would definitely get him to a vet and do a full workup on him!
 
As far as older ferrets go, my personal experience has been:
 
Wolf -- MF male, lived to be 10 1/2. Died of old age in 1995.
Rascal -- MF female, turns 8 in February, had adrenal surgery 3 years ago,
no recurrance. No other problems.
Sasha -- local breeder ferret, female, turned 7 in June, diagnosed with
Insulinoma last november. Treatments are keeping her blood sugar under
control.
Jezebel -- MF female, turned 7 in September, also diagnosed with insulinoma.
Treatments are keeping her blood sugar under control.
 
I really can't explain why some do live to be older and others don't.  I
guess its just like people -- the average lifespan might be 75, but some
live to be 120, others 40.  I just hope that my crew stays with me for a
long time.
 
Happy Ferreting!
 
Lisa
[Posted in FML issue 2110]