It's been a long, long day.  Merlin's doctor diagnosed an ulcer.  We brought
Merlin home yesterday afternoon and started treating him for an ulcer.  We
have been having to force-feed him.  This morning, he only wanted about
8cc's.
 
Around 2:45 this afternoon I gave him some more food.  This time, he took
about 10cc's.  As soon as I got done feeding him, I put him back in the cage
because he wanted down.  As soon as I put him in the cage, he vomitted
10cc's of food.
 
I called the vet again.  He said feed him very small meals at a time.  A few
minutes later, he was vomitting again.  This time, it was clear, foamy
stuff.  I called F.A.I.R.  in Westchester, IL.  Then I called the vet again
to pass along their suggestions.
 
Then I called Dr. Ken Welle at the University of Illinois Vet School in
Urbana.  He did surgery on our first ferret a year and a half ago for an
adrenal problem.  He said that Merlin was very critically ill and would die
if he wasn't seen today!  I called the vet again.  By this time, Merlin had
vomitted six times.  I told the vet I was on my way over with Merlin.
 
We got to the vet's office around 5:15p.m.  He went in for surgery right
away.  At about 5:45, the tech came out and told me they had found something
spongy.  At 6:30, the vet brought me what looked like part of a very large
eraser - all chewed up.  It is 10mm in diameter.  It was just past his
stomache, wedged into the intestine.  I asked to bring him home right away.
He said he would take him home tonight and I could pick him up in the
morning at the office.
 
Since this has been going on - off and on since our last club meeting, I
wonder if he picked something up at that meeting.  The meeting was at our
house - a mistake I'll Never make again!  There was one family I had a lot
of trouble with.  They wouldn't leave my ferrets alone and kept feeding them
everything they had (mainly potato chips).  I really feel as though this is
where the problem started.
 
Thank God I finally was able to convince the doctor to do surgery.  Merlin
is going to be okay.
 
Thank you to EVERYONE on the FML that gave encouragement and advice.  I took
all of the e-mails with me when I went to the vet.  This helped a lot!
 
I'll let everyone know tomorrow how he's doing after we get him home.
 
Mary
Peoria Area Ferret Connection
 
P.S.  We will never have club meetings at my home again.  Now they'll be at
my church - the policy there is NO animals allowed inside the church.  They
won't be eating anything but what WE give them.
 
Thanks again so much!!
[Posted in FML issue 1685]