What causes stools to be black and tarry is partly digested blood, so
what it means is that there is bleeding high up in the digestive tract,
for example an ulcer in the stomach will do this when it get really
bad.

Carafate is used to bandage the stomach. The prep that usually (but
not always) goes over best is the pediatric elixir which can be gotten
by prescription from pretty well any pharmacy. Carafate must be well
enough separated in time from other meds so that it does not coat 
them and therefore cause them to work less, and unless absolutely
unavoidable it must not be given with food which will largely prevent
it from settling into the wounds and coating (bandaging) them. Like
other meds of any type (standard, herbal, etc.) there are also meds
with which it must not be given. Digoxin and Carafate do not get along
well together, for example.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5995]