Annie Stout said:
>The meds (Amoxi and Carafate) eliminated the ulcer and vomiting and I
>think he passed the eraser but it was so mutated in his stool it was hard
>to tell.  He is doing better and gaining weight.  Stomachs are lined with
>hydrochloric acid which will eventually break down pretty much anything
>exposed to it.  If there is blockage in the intestines it will come up
>on x-ray as serious localized gas.  If it is in the stomach keep an eye on
>it, as long as they are eating and pooping then the systems are working."
 
Personally, I think this is a dangerous recommendation.  I can tell you
from personal experience that 1.  Rubber can show up on an x-ray and 2.
that rubber will not necessarily break down eventually.  In the meantime
you run the risk of the foreign object lodging itself in the duodenum,
intestinal tract etc and causing a life threatening infection that may
slowly present itself until it's too late.  I lost my sweetest baby to a
piece of rubber that was in her stomach for the entire time she lived with
us (because it was a piece of foam rubber nerf, and we've never owned
anything like it).  The rubber bits stayed in her stomach and caused no
trouble with eating or bowel movements for nearly two years.  The only
symptom was two incidents of vomiting a year apart, which the vet diagnosed
as a minor bacterial problem and treated with amoxicillian.  The problem
was of course that the bacteria was coming from the blockage, and it's
movement in her stomach was causing the vomiting.
 
One day she was fine and playful as usual, and the next morning she was
lethargic and obviously ill.  The first x-ray taken from the side only
showed a suspicious gas pattern.  X-rays from the top reveled the pieces
of rubber distinctly.  By the time I could find a vet who would take me
seriously and operate (12 hours later) my baby was in shock, and though
they did all they could to stabilize her before surgery, she died on the
table.
 
If you suspect a blockage of any kind, see your vet ASAP.  Have x-rays or
ultrasound done, and follow your gut instinct as to what is necessary to
help your ferret survive.  Vomiting is always a sign of something to be
concerned about, see your vet.
 
Robynn McCarthy
[Posted in FML issue 3005]