Hello!
 
To all of you wonderfully sweet and caring people who wrote about Ricky,
THANK YOU!!!  I have some news, I'm really excited about this possibility,
and although I haven't talked to a vet yet I really think I have found the
cause of his condition!
 
Yesterday I began to really worry that Ricky hasn't been eating (recap: I
didn't want to separate him from his sister, so I had a lot of trouble
monitoring if he was eating/pooping) but I just started thinking that it was
odd that I haven't seen him eat...usually when I go check on the ferrets I
catch them in the middle of a snack.  When he was sick last year, he stopped
eating completely, so I wound up having to crush his food into dust and mix
it with warm water, then spoon feed him.  I finally decided that I was going
to start this again with him, to make sure he was eating.
 
So I went and crushed the food, mixed it with warm water, and took it to
him.  Before I could even settle down with him in my lap he went nuts, and
ate voraciously.  I didn't even have to spoon it to him, but I held him
anyway until he was done.  Then, close to the end of his meal, I became
alarmed...there was BLOOD in the dish!  I freaked out, tried to open his
mouth to see the cause, but he wouldn't let me.  He didn't seem to be having
any other problems, but I was still worried.  I separated him from his
sister again (I felt I didn't have a choice) both to see if any blood turned
up on the towel in this cage, plus I wanted to see if he pooped.
 
Today, I went down to feed him again, mushed food again.  Same deal: as soon
as he got near the food he went right for it.  And same thing: by the end of
the meal he was bleeding in the mouth again.  But this time, I was really
excited.  Yes, I feel really bad that he's bleeding, but I think all of the
pieces just fell together!!!
 
Ricky (and his sister Sassy) has had very bad teeth since I adopted him
three years ago.  With agreement from my vet I decided that I wouldn't have
dentals done on him unless a problem arose, because I really can't afford it
with all of the more serious things that come up with my ferrets and shelter
ferrets.  Every month I check the teeth, make sure no pain results from
pressing on them, etc., and so far there's been no problem.  But now, this
all makes sense.  This poor, sweet ferret must have stopped eating close to
two weeks ago (I do know that he ate some, I saw him eat two or three times,
but I did notice that he didn't eat as much those times as normal) because
his teeth hurt so badly with the hard food!.  I've been giving him Nutrical
twice daily, and that's why his energy level hasn't decreased that much, but
it must not be providing the nutrition that he needed, thus causing the
hind-end weakness.  Many of the letters I got from you guys said that
nutritional problems cause hind-end weakness, so this just serves to support
this theory.
 
As far as the black tarry stools, (he's got a new one in his cage now),
here's my theory, and for this I could use more experienced opinions.  Many,
many of you said that these stools may be the result of bleeding of the
intestines/stomach.  How about if he was just swallowing mostly blood, and
not getting much food, except for Nutrical?  To me, it seems like the same
result would ensue, whether he was bleeding inside or just swallowing it.
What do you all think???
 
I put a call into the vet, he will call in the morning.  I can't wait.  I
really think that this is what's going on.  I still feel really bad that his
teeth hurt, but this is fixable.  I also feel guilty because I decided not
to have dentals done until a problem arose--I made that decision thinking
"it won't happen to me..." well, I learned that lesson.  I've decided that I
am going to start brushing all of the ferrets' teeth starting this week.
But still, this news is so great.  I felt that I needed to share it with all
of you, since so many of you wrote with suggestions and kind words.  Ricky
and I won't forget you.
 
If you think that this may not be the problem, don't hesitate to write with
your concerns/thoughts.  This is only a mom's gut feeling, not a vet's or
even someone experienced to this stuff.
 
I do have one more question for anyone who might have an opinion:
Obviously, Ricky will need some major tooth work if this is what's going on.
I still don't have the money for dental work (I've heard that major dental
work can run over $500) but I will do whatever is necessary.  However, I
have a personal friend who is a human dentist, and recently he told me that
if I ever had problems with the animals' teeth, and needed teeth pulled,
etc. that he would do it for me.  He said that he just is really a supporter
of animals.  I kind of blew it off, not thinking it would ever come up, but
now I am.  Do you think that a human dentist (under the supervision of a vet
to do anaesthesia) could clean/pull teeth in a ferret, or do you think this
could be risky for Ricky?  I won't take any chances with this guy's life.
 
Thanks for listening and all of the kind words.  I'll post tomorrow and let
you all know what the vet says.  Please keep your fingers crossed that this
is the problem!  :-)
 
Kymberlie Becker
Director, Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Association
"Forget Puppy Love...There's nothing Greater than Ferret Love!" TM
[Posted in FML issue 1918]