Hello everyone,
 
Well, I finally got my ferrets; two rescued sables, Natasha and Boris.
They're both about 1.5 years old and adorable, but I already have a
problem.
 
I noticed two evenings ago that Boris didn't seem to be eating much, and
soon after, that he was having very runny, mucousy (sp?), funny-colored
stools.  Without getting into too much detail, I panicked and ended up
calling every ferret-friendly vet clinic I knew of, an emergency veterinary
hospital, and the woman I got N&B from.  Eventually it was decided that I
would wait and get him to a ferret vet in the morning.
 
I took him in as early as I could, worrying that I wouldn't get him in soon
enough, that he'd need surgery, that he might die, etc..  He didn't have a
blockage, thank God, but he does have some sort of intestinal infection.
She wasn't sure what it was, but didn't think it was serious enough to
warrant a hospital stay.  She gave me some amoxicillin, some Feline R/D,
and another kind of medicine (can't remember the name right now) to help
settle his stomach (he started throwing up at the vet's office), then sent
me home.
 
Unfortunately, none of this has stopped me from worrying.  While Boris is
drinking a lot of water, he's won't eat anything except a drop or two of
ferretone, and isn't nearly as active as Natasha is, although I wouldn't
really call him lethargic.  Oh, and he's started having these green, slimey
stools, which makes me think he might have ECE.  All this has led me to
make another appointment with a different vet today.  Boris' first official
nickname is "the Million Dollar Ferret".
 
I have a few questions right now: How worried should I be about his not
eating?  Is there any way I can make his medication easier for him to take?
He hates both medicines, and usually does so much thrashing, pawing at his
mouth, running backwards with his face shoved into the carpet, etc., that
I'm not sure how much he's actually swallowing.  Also, how much activity
should I let him have?  And how long should I keep he and Natasha apart?
So many questions...
 
*sigh* What a glorious introduction to the joys of ferret ownership.  The
little carpet monkeys (I got that one from a B. Church post, and it fits
them perfectly) are worth it, though.  I think.  :)
 
Thanks for any help,
 
Meghan
 
and introducing...
 
Boris (I may be sick, but I can still War dance off the bed! Ouch.)
 
Natasha (Hey, look at this! And this! And this! And this! And this!
And this! And...)
[Posted in FML issue 2422]