Let me begin by saying thanks to all of you who responded to our call for help with our sick fuzzy. Special thanks to Bill for offering to forward the vets replies to our problem, rather than wait for the FML to be sent out. Here is the latest: We came home yesterday to a very sick ferret. Tiggers stools had originally been black and tarry, but were now just a kind of yellow mucous diarrhea, and not very much of it. He was extremely lethargic, and very hot to the touch. We rushed him to the vet, who determined that he was running a fever. We brought stool samples for him to test, but he found no signs of infection or blood. Upon a physical examination of Tigger he said he could feel some sort of hard, round object blocking the intestinal tract. He took x-rays but was unable to see the object, although he could see pockets of gas trapped up to the point of blockage. There was nothing at all in the intestines past the blockage. He suggested surgery but said that he could not guarantee the outcome. We asked if there were any other alternatives. The vet said the only thing we could try was to give Tigger plenty of laxatone to try and help him pass the object, and to give hem Pediolyte as often as we could get some into him. If things did not improve by the following morning he would have to do surgery before Tigger was too weak. He gave Tigger an antibiotic shot (ouch!) and sent us home. We stayed up all night feeding him with an eye dropper (it's amazing how tight they can clamp their little jaws, even when they are sick!). Well, good news (sort of). When we took him into the vet this morning he was feeling much better, and even ate a few treats out of our hand. We left him there all day and he was examined hourly to check his progress. He still has not passed the object but Dr Garon was optimistic as he could feel that it had moved further down the intestines. We will continue to bring him in each morning so that at the first sign of a turn for the worst we will have to resort to surgery. For now, at least, he is eating a little, his temp is normal, and he even has enough energy to nip at Weasie when she steals his towel. We will keep you advised. Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions and support. Ken & Paula Tigger & Weasie and the rest of the zoo! [Posted in FML issue 1129]