Hi all.  It has been a long while since I have had time to write, but
here I am.  I actually have found that I am in need of some good advise
for my liddle biddle - Helena.  Helena is a champagne, Marshall fert.
She is approximately 1.5 pounds, soaking wet.  She is coming around to
3 years old this November.  Normal weight is MAYBE 2#'s on a good day.
What is my issue?
 
Approximately 2.5 months ago, I noticed that the already pencil thin
fuzzle was growing thinner.  ( I wrote back then to the Digest and you
all gave me some wonderful advice) I had been watching her alot as of
late - and thought that perhaps there was an issue that she had, due to
a dead upper left canine.  I say that because when she eats, she gets a
few good chomps in, and then tilts her head sideways and "tongues" that
particular tooth (or so I thought).  Upon further investigation and
advise from ya'll, I brought her into the vet.  Well he poked, and he
prodded and he twiddled and could not come up with anything concrete.
He did say her spleen felt a little enlarged, but that was about it.  He
wanted to draw blood, and I allowed it.  When the tests came back, he
stated that her liver enzymes were outta this world, but he could not say
why.  He stated that it appeared to him, that she was in chronic liver
failure, and probably would not last too much longer.  He gaver her 2
weeks - tops.  He also stated that the "tonguing" she was doing with her
tooth, seemed to be a central nervous system reaction, as opposed to
uncomfortableness from a dead tooth.  He also thought it was a "pain"
reaction, meaning she is doing this because it hurts.....?  I am still
pondering on that one, but hey, I'm no vet right?  He at that time said
this could all be caused from an infection, and hooked me up with some
pretty hi-potency antibiotics.  He added a smidgen of pain reliever (at
my request) and off we went.  This seemed to work well for a while - and
I combined it with my own "get fat" efforts at home.  Well, me, being -
uhm, me - noted that she wasn't eating her kibble, no matter what I
did to it.  She WOULD however, munch on cat chow.  I know - I know -
shouldn't let her right?  Well, I decided that she needed some
hi-calorie, mixup of some good stuff.  So here is what I did.  I went
to Petco - purchased a can of ferret food (rather like cat food it is).
I went to the grocery store and picked up the following: Kitten chow,
(Iam's), Gerber graduates - meat sticks, gerber chicken/chicken broth
(level 1, whatever the hell that means) - gerber sweet potato souffle
(don't ask, please, don't ask....) - gerber apple-chicken (God am I glad
I am not a baby in today's world....) - and a few other miscellaneous
babyfoods, to hold onto for flavor, later.
 
I took the hard kitten chow - and soaked it in milk until it "melted"
away.  I meandered over to the blender (which my husband swears we will
never use again to make his favorite malts....*grins*) and dumped it in.
I added meat sticks, apple-chicken, sweet potato souffle, 1 can of ferret
food, and dash of salt, a squirt or two of ferretone, and one "glop" of
ferrevite.  Punched high and sat it out.  After a few minutes, we had a
"treat" fit for the Ferret God.  The best part?  She took to it like a
bee to honey.  I did this AFTER I saw how much it would be for that damn
duck soup at Petco......even with all I bought - it did NOT cost me
$14.00, as duck soup does.
 
I made it a point to feed her once a day with this conglomeration, (as
much as she wanted to eat) - and then let her free feed still.  She
quickly packed on the pounds.  Blew my mind.  She went up to about 2.5,
almost 3 #'s.  BUT she looked odd.  Skinney, almost skeletal upper body,
big ole round tummy.  As she got thicker, she got more fat on her ribs,
as well.  I thought she was coming around great, and decided that she
would continue getting this once a day treat.  She was doing good - but
you as well as I know that ferret's get "bored" with the flavor.  Hence
the other jars of babyfood, for "flavor changes".
 
Why the long windedness?  Because she is dropping weight again, rapidly.
I have changed her flavor, back to the original one that she gladly
glopped up.  She won't eat more than a couple mouth fulls.  I have done
everything from eye dropper, to putting it on my ownlips (and GACK is
that not GACK?) - she as a kit - would constantly "lap" at my lips, and I
figured, I am hard up - how could it hurt me, right?.  Now you can all
see how hard up I am to get her to eat more.  She IS munching on the cat
food still - but not nearly enough.  I see her maybe take one mouthful
and dash away.  On Sunday, I picked her up and noticed she was getting
dehydrated - and so I spent the day, watering and watering - whenever she
popped out - she was fed, and watered....(they are free roam ferts - and
have water/kibble stationed throughout the house - but she wasn't going
to it for some reason).  I am at a loss now though.  She just doesn't
want to eat - so I implemented what I call a "watch" schedule.  That
means, we "watch" to see when she gets up - wait til she has "done her
business" - then whoever is closest, snags her, and does the feed/water
thing.  At least this way - she is getting ALOT of "little" bits - and
I am hoping that it helps.
 
Does anyone have any advice that they can give me?  I did take her to a
second vet - who agreed with the first vet - that her liver was failing,
but what noone can seem to tell me is WHY.
 
Thanks for allowing me to be long winded.  Please, if anyone has advice,
don't be shy.  I would appreciate anyone's input at this point.  Say a
prayer for her kidlets.
 
Kim and Her Army of Idiots.
 
Kimberly Gorman
IT/Telcom Analyst - CSSC
Gap, Inc.
[Posted in FML issue 5041]