Sorry I have not responded to many people's e-mails lately.  I have been
very busy- having gone to FLorida for a few days and then dealing with some
critical medical problems on my return.  The day before Thanksgiving, Pookie
Bear came down with the "flu" which has plagued so many of the multi-ferret
households here in the Northeast.  On Thanksgiving night we ended up in the
emergency clinic for sub-cu rehydratio and a prescription for Albon.  The
next day a couple of the others had it, so we started the whole herd on
Albon, except Gabriel and Kiwi, who had no symptoms.  I also put Pedialyte
in the water bottles, and provided water bowls- a great treat which they
love to drink from but make such a mess it is impossible to let them have
them normally.
 
A few days later, the only ones left with symptoms, which include primarily
diarreah, and may also include a low-grade fever, loss of appetite, mild
vomiting, and lethargy, were Pinky and Molly.  On the fifth the were talen
in to the vet as they had not responded to the Albon, and were dehydrated
and weak.  The vet started a course of Amoxi, Flagyl, and supportive care to
include all the bannanas and duck soup they could eat.  All along they were
eating and drinking.  He also rehydrated them sub-cu.  (I was gone to
Florida at this point, and Mr. Duck was caring for them.)  When he picked me
up at the airport Sunday night, he said that he thought they should go back
in as they were looking pretty bad.  I'll say.  The vet saw us on Monday
morning, and the girls again were rehydrated.  I also took Pookie Bear
along, as he had started again with the diarreah as well.  The vet sent us
home with more Albon for Pookie, and the same drugs for the girls, as well
as advising we give them some Pepto Bismal and the bacteria found in yogurt
in the Duck Soup.  He also set me up with a bag of "half and half" simalar
to Ringers.  He added some Bcomplex vitimins to this.  I have beeen giving
the girls about 5-10 cc's each once in the morning and once at night.  They
are responding well, and slowly improving.
 
Pookie Bear is not doing well.  I noticed that his stools were tarry and
smelled odd.  Blood in the stools.  I took him back in to the vet Tuesday.
They did blood work, the results of this point to liver damage.  He is too
weak to undergo surgery, so we can only guess.  But he is bleeding
internally, probably from the liver.  It might be a necrosis, hard to know
for sure.  I am giving him supportive care of 10cc's sub-cu fluids every
three hours, plus 5cc's duck soup with it.  I am giving him Albon, and
Carafate, trying to keep him warm and comfortable.  He is very weak, has
lost much of his bowel control.  It is just a matter of time now.  The other
ferrets sense that he is really sick, and seem to be trying to comfort him.
We told him last night that he could go whenever he was ready, and that we
loved him.  He is still hanging on this morning.  Please keep us in your
thoughts and prayers.
 
-Mrs. Duck
[Posted in FML issue 1781]