Nemo's been going through some tough times.  First ulcers, then a partial
blockage.  Friday when I gave him breakfast treats (turkey baby food,
ferretone, etc) he took a bit of baby food, refused ferretone!  Then he
started with the dry heaves.  Trying to vomit with little effect.  Action
time!  He was drinking water, and I know he had pooped (very watery, with
mucus - isn't it amazing what ferret lovers will talk about?  ;-)
 
My regular vet was out of the office, and I don't really care for the
gal who covers when he is gone.  So I tried to find another ferret vet
(closer than an hour drive).  One I tried sees a lot of ferrets, but she
is the vet for Petco so most of her practice is infant.  I took a couple
there for shots and wasn't impressed.  So, I tried someone new.  Picked
up the yellow pages to see who was listed that specified ferrets.  There
was one very close to the house, so I called and I was impressed by the
level of knowledge that the office gal had, so I made an appointment.
 
When I got to the vet, with Nemo, I began to wonder.  Lots of dog and
cat pics on the walls, but no ferrets.  Uh oh.  Well, I was here, might
as well see what happens.  After the obligatory few minute wait, we were
ushered into a little room.  Not new, by any means.  After a couple of
minutes the vet tech came to ask what his problem was and take his temp.
I asked, half in jest, if she had a ferret-sized thermometer.  She
didn't, and Nemo objected strenuously, so she decided it wasn't
necessary.  One strike.  Then the oldest vet I have ever met came in.
He had to be in his seventies.  He tried to listen to Nemo's heart,
Nemo squirmed and struggled, so he gave up.  Two strikes.  Had I made a
serious error in judgement?  I could have gone to either of the known
vets, but instead... My heart sank.  Then the vet asked what I THOUGHT
THE PROBLEM WAS.  I was flabbergasted.  Er... I think it's a partial
blockage.  He was fine last night, but this morning yadda, yadda, yadda.
The vet asked what I though caused the blockage.  Well, he did grab a
dried raspberry and it disappeared before I could grab it.  "Ah, " said
the vet.  (Maybe because he couldn't get Nemo to say "Ah" <grin>.)
 
"Well," says the vet, "when did he last have a bowel movement?" The vet
tech answered for me, "When I tried to take his temp.  It was very thin
and had mucus in it." Ah yes, I remembered giggling inside at her
up-close and personal inspection of Nemo's poop.  Served her right for
not having a ferret-size thermometer.  The vet responded, "I have just
the thing for this" and left the room.  HUH?  I expected him to palpitate
the abdomen, nod and say: "operation needed." So, curiousity piqued, I
waited patiently.  Nemo waited impatiently, he wanted to snoop, he wanted
down, he wanted motion... I offered him some ferretone, as I had before.
Again he refused it.  Worry, worry, worry.  Was this a potential
disaster, or what?  Kaptin Nemo of the Naughtyless, struck down in his
prime by a raspberry!  This could not be!  After an eternity, well maybe
five minutes, back came the vet carrying a small bottle of white liquid
and a oral syringe.
 
He said: "this is a wonder drug, it will work for this."  Yeah, sure.
"Two drops every two hours until he feels better." I was amazed.  "I've
given you ten times what you need, but it keeps forever, don't even need
to refrigerate." I said, "I've got to go to work, I don't have anyone
available to give him meds every two hours." "Oh, well, then, give him
four drops." Was this guy for real?  The vet scruffed him, squirted a
couple of drops expertly into his mouth, massaged his throat for a few
seconds, then handed him to me.  He gave me a couple of cards for after
hours care, told me to call him if Nemo didn't feel better by the time
I got home from work.  Warned me to talk to himself or his partner (a
classmate in vet school) and not to let the young vet that covered
nights to treat him.  I checked out.  $58 for exam and medicine.  I
don't know what I thought as I left.  I was, what?  Amazed, dumbfounded,
unbelieving.  Well, in for a dime, in for a dollar; I gave Nemo two more
drops and left for work at 1PM.  I had taken a half day off, but I had
a meeting I had to be there for that afternoon.  Then I had to pick
hubby up at the airport.  So, 7:00 and I get home.  I don't know what I
expected when I got there, but Nemo standing at the food dish chowing
down enthusiastically was not one of the scenarios.  But that's what he
was doing.  Nosh, nosh, slurp, 'oh hi mom', nosh nosh slurp.  We had to
run out on an errand.  At supper time, he ate baby food with gusto,
chugged his ferretone and never looked back.
 
Parepectolin, 10 CC, with a dose being about .02 CC... Never heard of it.
The bottle says 'for diarrhea'.  Any one else heard of it?  I'm prepared
to admit that it's a wonder drug and should be in every ferret slave's
medicine cabinet.  Next I'm going use it to attack Patton's gushies.
 
I'm glad I got the story down while it was fresh.  I swear that's exactly
what happened.  I'm going to doubt it myself next time I read it ;-)
This vet was of the old school.  Assume the owner knows the animal, has
a good idea of what's going on, act accordingly.  He probably did some
checking while handling Nemo, more than I noticed.  Nemo was thin, but
not emaciated, alert, not vomiting at the time, not constipated.
Drinking water.  Now that I think back, there was a lot of info that
could be ascertained in a very short amount of time.  His bed-side manner
was matter-of-fact, if not brusk, no small talk about the animal, and I
don't know how a diarhhea treatment cleared up a partial blockage, but I
can't question the results.
 
I won't drop my current vet (when he's in the office), but I think I have
a new emergency vet.  There's a new emergency vet clinic that just opened
up that's about the same distance, but in the other direction, in spiffy
new quarters that I suspect were not cheap since they are in cake-eater
country.  I don't think I'll bother with checking them out though.  Bound
to be expensive.  I'll see what happens next time I need someone in a
hurry.
 
Barb and the Underfoot Family, starring Nemo, Kaptin of the
submarine Naughtyless, TPO
[Posted in FML issue 5230]