Ok, I have to get this out while it is fresh in my mind... Around 10:00 pm Thur my ferret Ms Ellie (permanent foster from Barb C's shelter) got a piece of kibble stuck in the roof of her mouth... nothing strange about this since it does happen and she will throw her head back and work her mouth trying to dislodge it... when I see it happening I will just open her mouth and push it out... Good thing I keep her in the play pen and was working on the computer next to the pen.. Ms Ellie has some major medical issues such as a very bad heart condition, lg tumor in abdomen, insulinoma, limited use of her back legs and no control of her bowels and bladder... she knows she has to go but cannot get up the energy to go to the box so she will just go whenever she has feeling she has to go so that is the reason she is in the play pen. So anyway....as I was working on the computer around 11:30 pm she was making those motions again but with more panic thrown in.. I picked her up and she wouldn't open her mouth... after forcing it open THERE WAS NOTHING STUCK IN THE ROOF OF HER MOUTH.... SHE WAS CHOKING ON SOMETHING!!! I couldn't see anything in the back of her throat and by now she was really panicking and so was I...she was starting to go limp, gasping for breath and I didn't know what to do!!! Crying didn't help and I was losing her... no time to rush to vet...she wouldn't make it...I was in major panic mode and for some reason I remembered reading something several days ago on what to do for a choking ferret ... Isn't it strange how in a crisis like this and you calm down some your mind and memory sort of take over... What I read said to turn them upside down and make thrusting downward movements and pat them on the back of their shoulders... I was doing this and nothing was happening!!! Then I starting patting harder on the back of her neck and suddenly she made a gasping sound but the good kind because she was finally able to take a breath!!! I could not find whatever it was she was choking on but I can only assume it was a piece of kibble she dislodged from the roof of her mouth and when she was throwing her head back the piece of kibble that was stuck in the roof of her mouth went down her throat. If I wouldn't of read that article about choking I truly believe I would of lost her right in front of my eyes. I would of tried the Heimlich maneuver but I would of been afraid of rupturing the large tumor in her abdomen. She will no longer get dry kibble... I will make it into a mush so the pieces will be softer... She already gets soup twice a day with her meds but what would of happened if I didn't notice what was happening or I went to bed or was elsewhere... I really don't want to think about it.. I think she has already taken some years off my life.... She is such a beautiful, delicate little thing and I can't think of life without her... I am usually a lurker but this scared me sooooo bad that I wanted to let everyone know to be aware when your ferret gets a piece of kibble stuck in the roof of their mouth that when they struggle to dislodge it something like this could happen... Sorry if some of this doesn't make sense.. I am still shaking! Jackie Sierra, Furrari, Ms Ellie & Koda At the bridge: Taz, Opie, Harvey, Buster, Plato, Cybil, Simon, Coby, Peanut, Lexi, Bandit, Mo, Echo, Precious, BumbleBear, Dominic, Mindy, Trance, Adrian, Hershey, Honey, Laney, Voodoo, Wally, Sir Duke, Zipper, Duchess, Snowflake, Cinnabun Ferret Fun things: http://jackiesdecals.webs.com/ Listia-free auction using credits! https://www.listia.com [Posted in FML 7563]