>From:    Dan Eliot <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: ferret died with large, swollen abdomen
>
>I'm wondering if anyone can help us diagnose what happened to our pet
>ferret Roman.
>
>We went to San Francisco over Christmas, and got our boys (Roman and Bart)
>back from the babysitter yesterday.  In addition to fleas (which they
>didn't have before the trip), our 6 year old male, Roman had a hugely
>swollen abdomen...
 
Dan, I'm not a vet, but my guess would be that Roman succumbed to a
progressive case of cardiomyopathy, or heart failure.  When the heart gets
weak it allows fluid to build up in the abdomen.  I lost one ferret to
that after nursing him along on Lasix for about 6 months.  When we first
took him to the vet for it, they tapped his abdomen with a needle and drew
a large quantity of fluid out of him.  The lasix helps the body expell the
fluid.  Now, some vets also give a heart stimulant to improve the strength
of the heart, also.
 
--
Russ, Booger, Bonnie & Clyde
[log in to unmask]
 
URA Redneck if you think a "Merge" sign is a personal challenge.
[Posted in FML issue 3649]