Yesterday afternoon I did not think Becky was going to make it.  Although
she would lap at the food if I held her and kept the spoon at her mouth, she
would then just drag herself a few yards and lie down to sleep right in the
middle of the floor.  When she had to defecate she was so weak she couldn't
lift her tail.  It was SO sad.  Her lower half seemed to be contracting,
like with diarrhea, but nothing came out.  Every few breaths she would
lightly convulse like that.  Finally I decided to give her a dose of
Immodium AD as described in my shelter's ECE advisory.  I wondered if it
would cure or kill her.  Amazingly I think that was the one thing that
helped, since when I observed her an hour later she was no longer
contracting.  I fed her two tablespoons of AD every four hours.  This
morning she looked much better.  Poop is still practically liquid, but at
least it's there.  She hopped around a couple of rooms before looking for a
place to go back to sleep, and she looked more alert.  She is walking very
gingerly and cautiously.  She will only eat if I hold her close to me, and
only from a spoon.  She will not eat from a dish, or standing on the floor
or table.  Weird.  She does not need to be "force" fed, but I do have to
gently hold her or she will try to get away.  But that little mouth laps
and laps that food.  Hallelujah!
 
I've had her in a separate cage or in my shirt for the last three days, to
keep her calm.  The latest theory is that she was just stressed out by
everything and that she stopped eating, which led to starvation and liver
compromise.  Think of it: she was a tiny thing to begin with(now only .82
pounds!).  She was taken to a dog and cat shelter by the only family she'd
ever known.  After several days she was picked up by our shelter members
and stayed with them a day or so.  At our ferret shelter she went in with 8
other weasels but was terrified, so after a day or so was moved to another
room with quiet, elderly weasels.  Then I brought her home and introduced
her to my two ferrets, large dog, and (then) two bossy cats.  I was her
fifth stop in three weeks.  I guess that could undo just about anyone!
 
I don't think she's out of the woods by any means, but at least she's
hanging in there.
 
Thanks to those who wrote and suggested milk thistle and pet tinic.  I am
looking into it!
 
Kat
[Posted in FML issue 2248]