Dear Ferret Lovers:
I have just spent over $1000 to have my 5 & 1/2 year old weasel to have
exploratory surgery.  I brought him in because he was making this chewing
sound with his mouth, which they explained to me was nausea.  He was also
totally limp and acting like he wanted to cough up a hairball.They found a
tumor in his panchreas, which was causing the "chewing" and malaise.  They
also found a piece of cloth in his stomach.  And they removed his spleen
(which was 4 times larger than a cat's spleen!).  *sigh*
 
I wasn't prepared for the sight of the incision when he came back to me.  I
was shocked at the sight of him, and it felt like I did the wrong thing,
like I made him suffer so much.  I call him "Franken-Ferret" since he looks
like a science experiment gone awry.  My questions are, if anyone has gone
through this is, immediately after he tries to eat, he goes through this
"chewing/grinding" motion in his mouth that makes an akward sound, like he
might have an ulcer.  Ollie is at one of the best vets in the country, yet
the vet does not know why he still has this symptom, and I'm trying to
search and find any other possibilities of what this is, and how to help
the little guy.  Some people say this is how ferrets express nausea or pain
in their stomach.  He's on moxie drops and a med to help coat his stomach
after it's been opened, but maybe it isn't working?
 
My second question is, how on earth do you get a ferret to gain weight?
Now that the spleen is taken out, there is nothing left of him.  He's
having trouble balancing to walk without a belly.  He always was a truly
skinny ferret, but you could never tell from the belly he had.  I'm trying
everything, and he's such a picky eater.  He'll only take crushed up food
smothered in Ferretone.  There HAS to be something else I can do for him!
If anyone has any advice about bringing a ferret "back to life" after a
major surgery, please let me know!!!!!  I feel so helpless in this
endeavor, and like it's a losing battle.  Ollie means the world to me...I
probably wouldn't have gone to these lengths to save any other pet.
 
I hope to hear from someone soon!
 
Jennifer (& Ollie)
[Posted in FML issue 2730]