My 6 year old male Sammy is sick.  The vet is puzzled (he admits he has
little experience with ferrets, and I live in a rural area).  Last week he
became very ill.  We weren't sure he was going to make it.  He was having
labored breathing, and could hardly walk.  We took him to the vet, and he
didn't really know what was wrong.  He checked for fluid build up, blood
sugar, temp, his teeth and gums, etc.  and couldn't find anything wrong.
He didn't really give us much hope.
 
Since then he has improved...slightly.  He is no longer having trouble
breathing, but other problems have appeeared.  He wasn't pooping...so the
vet suspected a blockage...but none was found.  He is not eating very much,
though he is drinking a lot of water.  He doesn't want to play at all, he
wants to sleep constantly, and would probably not eat at all if I didn't
wake him up to feed him bananna, cheerios, or if I force him, ferret food.
The amount he is eating is not much at all.  He is having normal looking
bowel movements, and is urinating normally.
 
His abdomen seems to be pulsating???  like he is breathing heavily or like
when he goes to the bathroom, but we can't hear any strain to breathe, and
he isn't having trouble going.  When he walks (on the rare occasions he is
awake) he sometimes just falls over.  He isn't straining to walk, his back
end will just slip out from underneath him.
 
Any opinions, help, advice would be greatly appreciated.  The vet is
stumped.
 
I have been lurking on the group for 3+ years, and have posted only about
5 times, but all of the information I read is very valuable.
 
Thank you all!
 
Please email me responses, as well as posting them.  I am about 15 issues
behind...and wouldn't want to miss any responses.
 
Thanks,
 
Thomas Daugherty
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[Posted in FML issue 2597]