Risa,
 
I feel your pain.  If you have been keeping up with me, I have the little
girl who was diagnosed with IBD/IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).  Helena,
for the most part, has been pretty healthy, but has ALWAYS been a tiny
little mite.  She on a good day, weighs approximately 1.25 #'s.  When
she has an "episode" - she goes down hill so fast, you can almost see
her weight "melt" off of her.  Dehydration is the first thing that
happens - and if I don't catch it right away - she gets disoriented.
Also, it seems that IBS causes some pretty significant pain for her,
when it is in full swing - and she will not eat or drink, without severe
prompting... It is during these initial days that when I see it "coming
on" , I know what is going to happen, if I don't "force" water and food
down her.  Now again, if you go back a few days in post, I do "what it
takes" to get it in her.  When ferrets dehydrate, they tend to become
disoriented.  The disorientation leads to them not eating - and not
drinking even MORE.  I found that what works best for Helena, is to
"football hold" her - and spend as much time as it takes, to get the
water into her.  She usually will "lap" it up, if I have it on a small
saucer.  That way she doesn't have to "lick" (from water bottle), which
is difficult for her when dehydr'd, or put her head into a bowl, which
confuses her worse it seems.  She freaks when her head is "in" something
and she can't see everything.... When she was at her absolute worst, and
would really fight drinking anything, I added teeny pinch of sugar, to
make it taste better - thereby causing her to drink more.  This is NOT
recommended though, for all fuzzies - and frankly, sugar is not a great
thing to add to a sick fuzzie.  But when I think of which is worse, her
dying because of dehydration, or living with a itsy bitsy pinch of sugar,
well I think you all know the choice on that one.  I do need to point
out, that I know her sugar levels on everything - so again, I only resort
to this in a worse case scenario.  One time however, even that didn't
work - and I had to scruff and force with an eyedropper.  She was pretty
bad off that day - and I couldn't get it into her any other way.  Once
re-hydrated however, she is a different fert again - and will eat and
drink on her own.  Takes her about 12 hours or so - to "bounce back", to
her normal self.  I hope this helps somewhat, and that your fuzzlet
bounces back soon!!
 
Oh - on a final note, thank you ALL for your thoughts, prayers and
advice.  Ms. Helena has put back on alot of her weight, and is eating
like a piglet!!!!  Yippie!!!  The "concoction" I make for her, she
usually only eats half of a serving (remember 2 x 2 container).  For
the past two days however, she has been pigging out (or ferreting out) -
and eating the entire container, PLUS a quarter of another!!!  I truely
believe we have come around a real sharp corner and she is gonna be ok!!
 
Hugs, dooks and chortles to you all!
 
Kim and Her Army of Idiots
 
Kimberly Gorman
IT/Telcom Analyst - CSSC
Gap, Inc.
[Posted in FML issue 5051]