>Adrenal Surgery - my little Roo (aka RooBear) is going in for adrenal
>surgery in a couple of weeks.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to
>make her comfortable as possible after her surgery?  I already have a cage
>made up just for her alone, full of comfy, soft fleece bedding and a low
>litter pan for easy in's & out's.  How long do you normally keep separated
>from other fuzzies after surgery?  She does not like to be alone...she
>loves her cagemates.
 
Dear Tracy J:
 
A competent surgeon makes for the fastest recovery.  Your idea of a
separate cage is a good one - I generally wait 4-6 days before allowing the
post-op ferret to mix with the others - long enough to know that there is
no seepage from the incision, and that there is minimal inflammation.  If
the ferret is showing any pain at the incision when you clean it (which you
should do daily with a bit of hydrogen peroxide), I would hold off a bit
too.  Unde supervision, you can allow a little mingling, but let's not let
them sleep or romp together for a while.
 
Daily cleaning with a soft cloth and hydrogen peroxide for about 5 days
is a good idea - dried blood is very itchy and may make her chew at the
stitches.  IF there is redness or swelling at the site of the incision, or
any of the stitches, show it to your vet.
 
For the first 3 days after surgery - I recommend replacing the litter with
shredded newspaper - small pieces of litter may stick to the incision and
even work their way into it superficially.  Generally it doesn't cause much
oof a problem, but it can be distressing to the ferret to have it removed.
 
No kibble for a couple of days - I generally use baby food for a couple of
days afterward with a slow return to kibble.  Whenever you anesthetize a
ferret for more than a blood drawing, the intestine tends to slow down or
stop, and it really isn't up to kibble for a couple of days.
 
With kindest regards,
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3193]