http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm? gid=1423922&messageid=16282&startid=16287 In a message dated 12/31/05 11:27:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: 1. Why did barium stop in the stomach area. It never went thru the intestine and out the hole. **With pain/working on peritonitis, sometimes the intestinal tract stops moving, that would be my suspicion here. The other thing that I have seen has been inflammation enough to cause swelling to keep the pylorus closed and stomach contents from emptying.** As of today, he is passing the barium in his stool. 2. How did he get this hole in his intestine. This was a good size hole/tear. bigger that a pin hole. there was no trauma/scraping of the inside of the intestine to make you think that a foreign object had gone thru. There was no foreign object in his body. This hole was way back in the intestine. **The couple of times that I have seen similar things, it has turned out to be intestinal lymphoma. I know of a couple of cases with just very fragile intestines, but my experience has been cancer. It could have been a foreign object that sat there for a bit and weakened the wall, then moved on, I suppose. Hopefully your boy will do well.** Dr. Ruth ***************************************** Save lives - spay or neuter your pet. --- carried to the FML by Sukie (not a vet) Ferret Health List co-moderator http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives fan http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ replacing http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org International Ferret Congress advisor http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5109]