>From: Dan Eliot <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: ferret died with large, swollen abdomen > >I'm wondering if anyone can help us diagnose what happened to our pet >ferret Roman. > >We went to San Francisco over Christmas, and got our boys (Roman and Bart) >back from the babysitter yesterday. In addition to fleas (which they >didn't have before the trip), our 6 year old male, Roman had a hugely >swollen abdomen... Dan, I'm not a vet, but my guess would be that Roman succumbed to a progressive case of cardiomyopathy, or heart failure. When the heart gets weak it allows fluid to build up in the abdomen. I lost one ferret to that after nursing him along on Lasix for about 6 months. When we first took him to the vet for it, they tapped his abdomen with a needle and drew a large quantity of fluid out of him. The lasix helps the body expell the fluid. Now, some vets also give a heart stimulant to improve the strength of the heart, also. -- Russ, Booger, Bonnie & Clyde [log in to unmask] URA Redneck if you think a "Merge" sign is a personal challenge. [Posted in FML issue 3649]