It has been a difficult 1.5 weeks. Storm, one of the ferrets that came
from Colorado (Rainbow Exotic bred, with severe pasteurella in TX) in
early 2007, born late 2006, has been ailing. I came home after work
one night and found blood all over three ferrets, Storm was one, but
I couldn't tell who was bleeding or where the blood was coming from. I
thought maybe a torn out nail as it was fresh blood. I checked everyone
and no signs. It took 2 days to find out. Storm was bleeding, what
appeared to be coming from his sinus cavity - there was fresh blood
from his nose and mouth and digested blood in his stool. Still not sure
if it was a bleeding ulcer or the sinus cavity though. He had been
eating a little less so I knew something was up, and the day I figured
out it was him he refused all food, and did so for two more days. I
tried to syringe feed and could only get 5 cc's at a time, and he
fought me all the way. When I saw fresh blood coming from his nose,
my thought was the pasteurella had eaten through his sinus cavity. I
sub-q'd fluids, syringe fed, stayed up with him at night trying to feed
every 1-2 hours to get enough recipe in him. I called Larry's office on
Monday night and scheduled him for Tuesday morning for what I thought
would be his final visit... BUT Monday night around 2am he started to
take a turn for the better, I started him on pepto earlier as a last
ditch effort because of the digested blood in case it was an esophagus
bleed but had not felt optimistic. By 6am Tuesday morning he was more
alert and willingly eating from the syringe. I cancelled our appt and
fed him once more before I left for work, came home at lunch time and
he ate well, kept him on the 2-3 hour feedings throughout the night,
and came home at lunch time on Wednesday as well. Wednesday night I
went to 3 hour feedings and by Thursday we were stretching it to 4
hours around the clock as he was eating 1 to 2 jars of recipe at each
feeding. Friday I had an appt with Larry for two others that needed
deslorelin implants (that makes 6 this month). I talked with Larry
Wednesday afternoon to let him know I'd be bringing Storm for him to
look at and get a vitamin B/K injection. Storm was still very pale as
he had lost a lot of blood, but was alert and Larry couldn't find any
wounds in his mouth or as far as he could see down his throat. He also
thought this was a sinus cavity bleed and the pasteurella had eaten
through - he explained how the sinuses are set up and the cartilage (?)
in that specific area and how it was a possibility. Larry gave him a
vitamin B12/K injection and noted that the right side of his nose under
his eye was swollen, and that is the side he has more issues with and
the side I saw the fresh blood. He said to continue the colloidal
silver nose drops, keep him on the pepto, and suggested an MRI or CT
scan though it probably won't change the treatment if I did them. Storm
continues to improve daily. Throughout the day Storm was fed whenever
he was awake, every 2-3 hours. Last night I fed him at 10pm 1 jar, at
midnight 1 jar, at 1:30 when I woke up I didn't wake him for a
feeding,then this morning at 6am he ate 2 jars, and at 8:30am he ate 1
jar. He seemed a little less fatigued as well, and he stretched and
smoothed over the blankets. I hope he will continue to improve and I've
not seen more blood. He'll stay on antibiotics and pepto. The pepto I
can mix in his recipe and he doesn't mind at all. Initially he was
getting it separate 10-20 minutes before each feeding and if I see
evidence of digested blood I'll go back to that, but for now it is
working in his recipe. Storm isn't an affectionate senior, but he does
enjoy snuggling with Peepers, sometimes when she is sleeping on my bed,
but most of the time he prefers one of the ferret beds.

And Peepers broke with a rash, down there, that I couldn't get cleared
up, started the day I found the blood, second time for her rash and
last time it took 3 weeks to get cleared up, so I took her along to be
checked. Larry found 3 types of bacteria that appear to be surface
bacteria. Peepers is 10+ yrs old, almost 11, and she can't use her back
legs to stand, though she can push with them to get around. Since she
can't stand and often falls to one side or the other she can't clean
her bum after going to the bathroom. Desitin, Neosporin, and another
sulfur antibiotic ointment/cream did not help. I wanted to find out if
it might be a yeast infection, which it wasn't. We are now using an SDD
(?)ointment. She gets frequent spritz warm showers and ointment applied
several times a day. She has multiple beds so she can move from one
to another when she soils one. Laundry is done nightly to keep her
favorite blankets clean and ready. She really likes the soft thick
plyable fleece blankets - I think I bought them at Walmart years ago,
and received a couple as gifts. Today she has a very soft red fleece
blanket that was a gift either last christmas or the one before.
Peepers is fairly naked from adrenal so the softest fleece is more
comfort to her. Her joints are swollen and her shoulders come out of
the socket so I have to gently put them back in place. She is an alert
old lady, sometimes grumpy, but still loving life and eating well. She
loves to be scritched and LOVES NBones. Peepers likes to sleep on my
bed and she has her own thick blanket to keep her comfy, with a thick
towel underneath to protect my covers. The dogs are thrilled that this
little senior gets to sleep on the bed more often because they have
to be very careful to not step or lay on her. Athena will scooch down
under her cover and lay next to her - not sure if that is for comfort
or disdain though.

And so it goes. :-)

tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org

[Posted in FML 7975]