Howdy to the humans & cuddles for the carpet sharks.
 
I am writing for a friend whose 10-month old ferret has been vomiting on a
daily basis -- once a day.  I have my own idea of what's going on, but want
to know if anyone's ever experienced this and what the cause may have been.
 
Symptoms:  vomiting a large amount of partially digested food, usually
(always?) after a vigorous play period; stools not runny, but also soft/not
well-formed, but otherwise occuring as frequently as ever; eating/drinking
seem normal; no lethargy -- good energy.
 
There were no biological vectors found in the stool sample.  A course of
Amoxidrops resulted in the stools returning to normal temporarily.  When
the vomiting continued, however, x-rays were taken but did not show a
blockage; Laxatone did not result in anything passing.  The vet -- a very
good ferret vet, IMHO -- thinks it may be ulcers (in a 10-month old?) or a
partial blockage which would not be seen on an x-ray.  The next step they
are planning to have him ingest some chalky substance that would show up on
an x-ray then take one every 10-15 minutes to track its path through the
digestive tract...
 
Anyone have any ideas/experiences?  (if you post to the FML, please e-mail
me privately as well)
 
I realize that nothing can replace the advice of your vet.  I am writing
in the hopes that more possible causes can be identified which would allow
for a greater opportunity for the vet to logically evaluate this ferret's
condition.  Thanks in advance.
 
-- Andy, Cody, Lily, Tripod Bob, Oscar, and Witzy
[Posted in FML issue 3196]