Has anyone had a jaundiced ferret?  My vet called the University of
Tennessee and was told ferrets don't usually get jaundiced, but my little
guy, Max, was as yellow as a lemon.  He lost his appetite about a week
after he had surgery, but was taking a little bit of NutriCal, Ferretvite,
and Pedialite, and looked fine when I tucked him in on that Sunday night.
(If I'm around, he stands by his bed and waits for me to hold up the top
of his favorite sweatshirt.  Then he climbs in.) By Monday morning, when I
checked on him before calling the vet about his lack of eating, his whole
body was bright yellow.  The UT vet said ferrets usually eat small amounts
often and, when they don't eat enough for a couple of days, their liver can
malfunction.  (Can also happen with cats.) His ALT and alkaline phosphate
counts were four times the normal range.  After four days in intensive care
with forced feeding and IV fluids, he was back to normal and eats very well
now -- although the vet techs spoiled him and now he prefers his dinner be
warmed in the microwave.  He's also recovering well from surgery to remove
a foreign object from his stomach, especially considering he's almost 6
years old.  Thank goodness for income tax refunds!
[Posted in FML issue 2610]