O.k. for the last 2 weeks I've been nursing a sickly ferret.  His symptoms
were: lethargy, lack of appetite, diarrhea.  Now doesn't that sound like a
bacterial or viral infection?  Uh Uh.  Hairball.  A 1 1/2 inch in diameter
hairball to be exact.  Just as I had suspected.
 
I had scheduled a vet appt a week ago but had to reschedule due to
extenuating circumstances.  We finally got to the vet last Friday.  I had
previously felt the lump in the abdomen area but it felt free, not attached
to anything.  Our vet palpated the lump and in the process moved it.
Sonnie was in severe pain the entire weekend.  I called the vet Saturday,
scheduled surgery for Tuesday, and took Sonnie in for xrays Sunday night
because he still was not feeling well and was in quite a bit of pain.  The
hairball DIDN'T show up on the xrays.  In the meantime I gave him catlax
mixed with his recipe and pediapred to take down inflammation.  Yesterday
evening (Monday), he was feeling better and even crawled through the tube
on his back.  This morning (surgery day), he was alert, active, curious,
and bright eyed.
 
When I dropped Sonnie off at the vet, I didn't know what would be found.
When Larry called he asked if I wanted the good news or the bad news first.
Now I've been seriously fretting over Sonnie for 2 weeks and so I asked for
the good news.  Our adrenal welfare girl had a huge right adrenal which was
removed and she was doing well.  The bad news was on Sonnie.  The hairball
died.  The ferret was doing well but hard as they tried, they couldn't save
the hairball..... So now we have a hairball for our collection of specimens.
 
When it rains it pours.  After a 7 week bout of pneumiona, 3 adrenal
welfare surgeries, a vet check that confirmed 7 insulinoma ferrets, and
then Sonnie, I was becoming quite fragile.
 
Thankfully, with the good news about Sonnie, I can get back on track now.
 
So, in our experience, if there is a lump that isn't attached to anything
and it is in the intestinal area, it just might be a hairball (or other
type of obstruction).
 
Hugs to all. tle
[Posted in FML issue 2603]