Dear Christine:
 
>I have IBD myself (It _IS_ Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, right?  it would be
>funny if I said I had it and it was something else that only ferrets get).
>I take a mild sort of muscle relaxer called "Lomotil".  If I have really
>bad problems sometimes I take Phenergan (sp?) sometimes in Codeine syrup
>which I dunno if ferrets can have but soemtimes in suppositories (*blush*).
>Would any of those work on ferrets in smaller doses than for a people?
 
Christine - I think you are describing irritable bowel syndrome rather than
inflammatory bowel disease - too many "IBD's".  Irritable bowel syndrome is
a condition resulting form abnormal contractility of the large intestine,
rather than inflammation.  The particular drugs that you describe would not
be effective for inflammation of the intestine in ferrets - we generally
look at antinflammatory medication, not muscle relaxants/antispasmodics.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3256]