It has been a difficult 1.5 weeks. Storm, one of the ferrets that came from Colorado (Rainbow Exotic bred, with severe pasteurella in TX) in early 2007, born late 2006, has been ailing. I came home after work one night and found blood all over three ferrets, Storm was one, but I couldn't tell who was bleeding or where the blood was coming from. I thought maybe a torn out nail as it was fresh blood. I checked everyone and no signs. It took 2 days to find out. Storm was bleeding, what appeared to be coming from his sinus cavity - there was fresh blood from his nose and mouth and digested blood in his stool. Still not sure if it was a bleeding ulcer or the sinus cavity though. He had been eating a little less so I knew something was up, and the day I figured out it was him he refused all food, and did so for two more days. I tried to syringe feed and could only get 5 cc's at a time, and he fought me all the way. When I saw fresh blood coming from his nose, my thought was the pasteurella had eaten through his sinus cavity. I sub-q'd fluids, syringe fed, stayed up with him at night trying to feed every 1-2 hours to get enough recipe in him. I called Larry's office on Monday night and scheduled him for Tuesday morning for what I thought would be his final visit... BUT Monday night around 2am he started to take a turn for the better, I started him on pepto earlier as a last ditch effort because of the digested blood in case it was an esophagus bleed but had not felt optimistic. By 6am Tuesday morning he was more alert and willingly eating from the syringe. I cancelled our appt and fed him once more before I left for work, came home at lunch time and he ate well, kept him on the 2-3 hour feedings throughout the night, and came home at lunch time on Wednesday as well. Wednesday night I went to 3 hour feedings and by Thursday we were stretching it to 4 hours around the clock as he was eating 1 to 2 jars of recipe at each feeding. Friday I had an appt with Larry for two others that needed deslorelin implants (that makes 6 this month). I talked with Larry Wednesday afternoon to let him know I'd be bringing Storm for him to look at and get a vitamin B/K injection. Storm was still very pale as he had lost a lot of blood, but was alert and Larry couldn't find any wounds in his mouth or as far as he could see down his throat. He also thought this was a sinus cavity bleed and the pasteurella had eaten through - he explained how the sinuses are set up and the cartilage (?) in that specific area and how it was a possibility. Larry gave him a vitamin B12/K injection and noted that the right side of his nose under his eye was swollen, and that is the side he has more issues with and the side I saw the fresh blood. He said to continue the colloidal silver nose drops, keep him on the pepto, and suggested an MRI or CT scan though it probably won't change the treatment if I did them. Storm continues to improve daily. Throughout the day Storm was fed whenever he was awake, every 2-3 hours. Last night I fed him at 10pm 1 jar, at midnight 1 jar, at 1:30 when I woke up I didn't wake him for a feeding,then this morning at 6am he ate 2 jars, and at 8:30am he ate 1 jar. He seemed a little less fatigued as well, and he stretched and smoothed over the blankets. I hope he will continue to improve and I've not seen more blood. He'll stay on antibiotics and pepto. The pepto I can mix in his recipe and he doesn't mind at all. Initially he was getting it separate 10-20 minutes before each feeding and if I see evidence of digested blood I'll go back to that, but for now it is working in his recipe. Storm isn't an affectionate senior, but he does enjoy snuggling with Peepers, sometimes when she is sleeping on my bed, but most of the time he prefers one of the ferret beds. And Peepers broke with a rash, down there, that I couldn't get cleared up, started the day I found the blood, second time for her rash and last time it took 3 weeks to get cleared up, so I took her along to be checked. Larry found 3 types of bacteria that appear to be surface bacteria. Peepers is 10+ yrs old, almost 11, and she can't use her back legs to stand, though she can push with them to get around. Since she can't stand and often falls to one side or the other she can't clean her bum after going to the bathroom. Desitin, Neosporin, and another sulfur antibiotic ointment/cream did not help. I wanted to find out if it might be a yeast infection, which it wasn't. We are now using an SDD (?)ointment. She gets frequent spritz warm showers and ointment applied several times a day. She has multiple beds so she can move from one to another when she soils one. Laundry is done nightly to keep her favorite blankets clean and ready. She really likes the soft thick plyable fleece blankets - I think I bought them at Walmart years ago, and received a couple as gifts. Today she has a very soft red fleece blanket that was a gift either last christmas or the one before. Peepers is fairly naked from adrenal so the softest fleece is more comfort to her. Her joints are swollen and her shoulders come out of the socket so I have to gently put them back in place. She is an alert old lady, sometimes grumpy, but still loving life and eating well. She loves to be scritched and LOVES NBones. Peepers likes to sleep on my bed and she has her own thick blanket to keep her comfy, with a thick towel underneath to protect my covers. The dogs are thrilled that this little senior gets to sleep on the bed more often because they have to be very careful to not step or lay on her. Athena will scooch down under her cover and lay next to her - not sure if that is for comfort or disdain though. And so it goes. :-) tle www.ferretfamilyservices.org [Posted in FML 7975]