Hello to everyone,
 
I was one of the lurkers that also had a hacking/coughing ferret.  So, here
are the results:
 
Last night Indy and I (and my dad the chauffeur) went to the very ferret
knowledgeable vet to find out what was going on.  I read some of the
previous posts and was getting very scared about heart disease, lung
problems, etc... So, a good listen to the heart and breathing of the
squirmy little beast (my vet said that he has never seen a ferret as full
of vim and vinegar as my little Indy ... awww!!  Not too much sympathy for
the ferret, please, he did afterall decide to bite the vet!!)
 
Nothing sounded out of the ordinary, but he asked if I would agree to
x-rays, to rule out other problems.  I said, YES!  Of course!  So, off goes
Indy to the X-Ray room.  My poor baby!!  He was not a happy camper, and he
bit the vet again!!
 
Anyway, the end result is that there is nothing the matter with the heart
and lungs.  No blockage etc... in the throat (a gastro-intestinal blockage
is not an issue here at all).  What is does have is an inflammation of ....
(it starts with a p ... cells).  This is from coughing due to ..... well,
you got it!  Now I have to figure out what is bothering him!  And not the
other four!!
 
Well, I would like to thank those that did post to get to the vet quickly,
because after listening to what it could be (long list) and what it finally
ended up being, I was very happy!!  Indy is on Steroids for 2 weeks -
Pediapred - (I think I spelled that right) and then providing he has
stopped coughing, we'll stop with the medication and see what happens.  I
have decided to change litters and see if that is it.
 
Hope this does ease some of the people's minds if their ferret is coughing
or hacking, but please, do go to the vet, to be on the safe side.
 
Take care,
 
Marion
[Posted in FML issue 2576]