Some of you may remember Alfie (CJ's Oliver), the sweet gray blaze boy
whom I got last year. He has a rare but documented manifestation of the
same genetic cluster that causes the blaze and deafness. Neural crest
whatchmacallit. In his case, he has both the above but also a deformed
jaw that opens only a tiny bit. He was on soft food, cut small, or
gravy. The original shelter (CJ) was told by her vet that corrective
surgery would be risky (since it's never been done), expensive, and
probably unnecessary. It's generally been assumed that what would
finally do him in would be complications from tooth decay. I've had his
teeth cleaned (thanks, Santa!), but they can only get to the gum side,
and without the benefit of hard food. . .

The vet even had to improvise a way to anesthetize him, so that's
another complication. . .

Well, the past few days, he hasn't wanted to eat. I have tried tempting
him with lots of extras in his soup and lots of coaxing, and he was
making slurping noises and seemed to be eating. Last night I finally
tried forcing him to eat, and though he slurps it up (until he's
suddenly DONE, and fights me) his jaw is certainly locking up even
more. There was just a tiny gap in the very front for me to dribble in
some very watered down carnivore care. And he seemed dehydrated, so
sq'ed but I'm wondering if he was even able to drink much on his own.
(For the past month he has been running into things now and then; I
don't know if that's related.) Will I have to do this feeding s'q
every four hours to prevent an ulcer and/or dehydration and related
complications? Should I assume he's got at least the beginnings of
these things now? He was pooping black last night but with many
feedings this has settled down to simple runs.

He's sweet, perky, otherwise healthy, and only about 4. Really not
ready to go. But he scared me by botttle brushing after an itty bitty
sub-q, and then curling up in that way. That. Way.

I guess I also hope that some vet/orthopedic veterinary surgeon out
there has some previously unexplored ideas. And really wants to write
a paper about this unusual and potentially high profile case. Really,
the only thing I had thought of before all this, was checking into
having the teeth removed by cutting into the bone (Since they can't be
pulled). Radical, but the teeth were doing no good and endangering his
life, so it seemed logical. Now, if they're closing more--I dunno if
the teeth are even the issue any more.

His vet (a wonderful ferret vet--one of 2 who I drive 8 hours each way
for surgeries) sort of tentatively said it mught be myositis, but she
really wasn't sure whether ferrets get this, or how to treat it. She
suggested maybe a bone specialist (what was it--osteo? ortho?) or maybe
a dentist/oral surgeon, or a "real" ferret specialist. (She's "real" to
me, for most ferret things, but anyway. . . )

We're treating for the apparent ulcers, but being scruffed for every
meal and drink of water doesn't seem like a permenant solution. And I
can't run home during every lunch hour forever.

OK and, however this turns out, his survival will probably be expensive
so there may be some sort of raffle coming up. Would anyone be willing
to help me with this?

I hope you all can come up with options. Please cross post this if you
feel it may help.

--Clover
and the rezweezils

[Posted in FML 6093]