Leonard wrote:
>The absolute best bottle brush ... is made by Lixit, and can be
>found at the >Ferret Store (item # LX-690) for $6.59:
>    http://www.ferretstore.com/items/lixitmain.html
 
I THINK that our favorite is also by Lixit, but might be wrong.  We got
it either from the Ferret Store or from Mary van Dahm's shelter catalog
(F.A.I.R., P.O.  Box 952, Westmont, IL 60559).  LOVE the thing -- it not
only fits while being wide enough to get the sides, but the top then
swivels out and cleans around the underside of the top on each type of
bottles we have every effectively.  We only recently tried the Lixit water
bottles, and of all the ones we've tried in about 18 years these are the
best so far.  Don't know how they are for longevity, but they aren't
leaking, they hang easily, they fill easily, they are very smooth around
the edges so they don't irritate tongues or mouths, and they clean in a
snap.  Marvelous things!
 
Meeteetse tried climbing under the bed yesterday and pulled her hip; it's
healing.  Mostly she doesn't feel her age and then something like that
will happen and we all recall that she's old now.
 
Deb, Something bothers me about that quote that you found.  It doesn't
mention that one way that ascites can be found is through it causing
breathing problems.  According to our vet several things can cause ascites.
Around here we've encountered liver cysts as well as cardiomyopathy (of
both types, three individuals, all from the same breeder).  We have also
seen breathing problems when Meeteetse had pneumonia with pleurosy.  The
liver cysts required surgery to not be rapidly fatal but did come back
eventually.  The cardiomyopathy cases responded very well to meds.  What
the vets did with our guys: x-rays first.  The cases then all also needed
ultrasounds as well.  For the problems in lungs and pleura there were
heavy and long antibiotics as well as yogurt to replace useful intestinal
bacteria killed by the meds; for the cardiomyopathy cases there were Lasix
(Furosemide -- for which we later went well past what was thought to be
upper limit -- now NO upper limit) to cut asicites and later also
peripheral edema, and Enacard from the start.  Meltdown who lived for over
a year with it despite the seriousness of her rhythm problems at the start
had ventricular bigemini from the start so also had Digoxin right from
scratch, but the others didn't have it till compressions were compromised.
With 'Choppie our vet also had us use Co Enzyme 10 Q (given with some
vitamin C and vitamin E) right from the start, so people with ferrets
which have trouble breathing should NEVER be afraid of testing and treating
because the results can be wonderful.  Meesh Meesh mentioned to me that
some new meds are being tried now, too.  I don't know anything about
them.  Heck, Encard was new when Meltdown (our first diagnosed with
cardiomyopathy) used it and our vet had to consult with human cardiologists
to find it.
 
Oh, I have used AR -- many, many, many year ago -- at least 15 but more
likely 16 years ago, I'd guess from where we lived and her age at the time.
Fritter was just a kit, and she climbed on a toilet and then leaped to the
sink where she ate part of a sponge that lodged in her trachea.  I used
very, very, very tiny cheek puffs (too large a breath can rupture the
lungs) and the mass moved down so she could breath again.  She lived to be
somewhere late in her sixth year when she died of lympho and insulinoma.
The sponge never caused her any problems.  I saw her doing it, jumped from
the tub, and she was already unconscious and not breathing.  BTW, if a
sound can be made then the trachea isn't fully blocked and a mass could
instead be in the esophagus so don't try dislodging those yourself or it
might move to the trachea -- just something you get taught about when
genetic esophageal constrictions are in the family.
 
Sukie who is obviously not a vet (Had inquiries about my comment on the
polling places in minority areas having been shut down -- happened in S.C.
in the Republican primary and is all over the national news so just check
any reputable news source; I just can't imagine FML ever being so unfair on
opinions and personal choices which is why I used it as a lead-in to how
good FML people are.  People on the top should have the plain decency to
clean up openly and redo.)
[Posted in FML issue 2966]