Tim Wrote:
>From: tim aufderheide <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: diahrrea
>My ferret has had diahrrea for about a week now to 10 days, he seems to
>be eating ok.  He is caged for most of the day, so its difficult for him
>to get into things around the apt.  Unfortuantely i'm not in a financial
>position to get him to a vet.  It also has a much worse odor associated
>with, while most of his stool, is relatively tolerable.  Any thoughts?
 
Tim,
Sorry to hear about your financial situation, but if you do not spend the
money and get your baby to the vet, he will probably die.  Mine almost did.
Had diarrhea (yours sounds like ECE as well) and by the time I decided he
couldn't kick the diarrhea by himself, I had to pay alot more because he
was dehydrated and needed emergency care.  Also, the diarrhea was so far
gone, he now has inflammatory bowel disease and needs prolonged treatment,
which means more money.
 
More than the money for me, I thought it was stress related and he would
eventually get over it.  don't make the same mistake I did.  It is hard not
to get on my high horse and say that if you don't have the money to care
for an animal when the animal gets sick, you shouldn't have one.  It is
your choice, but that is the way I feel.
 
Make sure your baby is eating enough food and not dehydrated.  He is
probably dehydrated.  Pinch his scruff, or belly and if the skin doesn't
immediately spring back, he is dehydrated and needs to get some medical
attention fast.
 
As far as enough food, count the pieces and see how many he eats.  Usually,
20-25 pieces a night is sufficient and euivalent amounts throughout the
day.  Is he losing weight?  do you know?  Is he lethargic?  He may need
force feedings if he isn't eating enough.  These are things that will
indicate the medical need of your ferret.  One thing that has been thought
to help diarrhea because it is a chlorine blocker is rice.  cook some rice
and blend it well with food in a liquid diet and feed it to him.  That may
help.
 
good luck
[Posted in FML issue 2706]