Thursday last week one of our ferrets was not doing too well.  One who is
normally 'in your face' all the time was feeling very lethargic.
 
Off to the vet, quick hand assessment finds something triangular in the
lower intestine.  Xray confirms gas bubbles above something odd looking,
and nothing below.  Diagnosis: blockage.
 
By noon that day, the surgery was over and a cat treat, which had been
swallowed whole, was removed.  Classic case of blockage and surgery.  No
problems foreseen.
 
A week later, things are just not doing too well until last night it
looked as if the little fert was going to die.
 
Between operation and last night, we'd been to the doc twice, and nothing
specific could be found by general visual check, palpation, etc.  The only
really odd clue was that the fert was developing BAD BREATH.  Our guys
don't brush or gargle, but we've never noticed bad breath except on one
who died from Lymphoma.  His breath was getting ripe during his last week.
 
Frantic calls to the vets arranged for a quick visit the next day (the
fert specialist was out; the doctor on duty did not feel he could do a
proper assessment).  Next morning, we have a new symptom: high
temperature.
 
At the vet's office, we find a fever.  The first indication all along,
that could be measured, that something was not kosher.  Maybe this was
something that could be cleared up with antibiotics?  Next check is a
barium scan which shows nothing getting through, again.  By now the
specialist is in and decides to operate.
 
He finds abscesses on the intestines.  Until the fever, there were no
measurables that anything was going wrong.  Just a ferret who is taking
longer than usual to come around.  Periods of blah and periods of having
some fun.  The best the doc can figure is that it is a reaction to the
stitches or that the sutures were not as sterile as advertised.  He pulled
the entire lot from the shelves.  (BTW: I'm told this sort of thing can
happen in ferret-owner hospitals.  Just one of those things doctors and
nurses watch for.  However, at home ... )
 
Anyhow, the ferret has lost about half his intestines and will be in ICU
for some days to watch for futher infection.
 
Bottom line.  It ain't over until it's over; and DON'T fool around if your
ferret seems to be taking too darn long to recover.  Something else may
be going on.  Our fert doc thinks that if we had not acted when we did,
the little stinker would not have made it through another night, and would
have moved on in great pain.  Up to that point, he did not seem to have
pain.  Discomfort, yes; but not pain.  We got there probably just before
the abscesses would have burst and caused major, major problems.  We were
lucky; but it's still not over.  Vet says he's seen worse cases in older
animals who pulled around just fine.  Thus we are hopeful.
 
Danged dookers can't really tell you when something is wrong.  We thought
we were dealing with a case of 'the sulks' which another ferret was VERY
good at putting us through.
 
TJ
[Posted in FML issue 3696]