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Hey folks. I could really use some of your experiences with ferrets eating non-eatable things. (tl;dr young ferret ingested something she shouldn't have, can't see a vet until Tuesday, I am a jackass who should ferret proof better) Poop talk ahead! Okay, so my little fuzzer Khaleesi has ingested some pieces of this stupid face scrubbing brush thing I recently misplaced (Google l'oreal exfoliating scrub if you are curious... Ugh). I know this because I found pieces of it in the litter box. She has been pretty sad and lethargic since yesterday. I think (but can't be certain) she passed it or most of it early this morning around 3 or 4am (husband stayed up all night with her). The subsequent 7:30 am movement was ample, soft, and green. The next two have just been smaller amounts of liquid stool. No blood. She was eating and drinking up until this afternoon but definitely displaying signs of distress (teeth grinding, pawing at mouth). I am not sure if she has eaten much since then but she did throw up solids of substance earlier this evening (more on that in a moment). I live in a stupid rural corner of the state and since it is Memorial Day weekend it is unlikely I will be able to get her into a small animal vet until Tuesday morning at the earliest (calling all the vets in town tomorrow in case someone picks up). In the interim, would you kindly share your experiences with your ferrets (or other pets) eating dumb poo poo, and the outcome of the experience? I couldn't stand seeing her look so miserable so at around 8am I moistened my fingertip with a drop of pepto bismol, gave her another dab at around 2pm, and one more at around 9pm... First two doses seemed to help with her teeth grinding, the last one made her immediately vomit so I feel like a complete piece of crap and probably won't give her any more. I have unflavored pedialyte mixed with water in a 50:50 ratio to offer her (her nose seems dry). I have some chicken baby food, canned pumpkin, petroleum jelly, ferretone, all these ferret things on hand if need be. My apartment is about 75 degrees during the day but I try to keep the air moving until we get our ac fixed tomorrow. I bagged the poop with the foreign body to take to the vet, next task is to find the brush to see how much of it was eaten and how much passed through. My ferts free-roam the entire house and have lots of random stash spots. Memorial Day weekend, of all weekends...! My heart aches for my little Khaleesi and I am so frustrated there are no real emergency vets in the area, but at least she is passing something, so there is that at least. It really sucks seeing such an impish, playful critter just lie there like "meh".  Her cagemate/ferret pal Oryx is still the same loveably naughty little poo poo she always is. The bleakest part of me is scared she will drop dead before Tuesday but I think it is a good sign she took a big poop cos that means she isn't utterly blocked up.Sooo, share your stories with me so I don't feel like the only rear end in a top hat on the planet who maybe dropped one stupid scrub brush in the shower once and then the ferret chewed on it and now she feels like crap and so do I and I feel like a bad owner and yadda yadda yadda. I will regale you with tales of this poo poo saga as things progress.
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May 25, 2014 07:18
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| # ? May 3, 2024 09:15 |
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Give her a small amount of ferret lax if you have any, and take her to the vet as soon as you can. Don't give her any more human medicines unless the vet instructs you to. Honestly there's no way to tell how bad it is until she gets some X-rays. Your possible outcomes here are: she'll pass it all no problem, she'll partially or fully block her bowels (which usually ends up requiring surgery) or it will cause damage to her digestive tract as it passes (also probably surgery) or something in it will be toxic to her as her body tries to digest it, which could cause lots of things to happen. Try to find out how much of it she ate and keep monitoring her for eating and pooping. If she keeps pawing her mouth, drooling, stomach feels bloated or hard... I would be driving to the nearest open e-vet. Hopefully she'll pass it all and it won't be a problem, that's your best case scenario.
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May 25, 2014 14:43
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I don't have any straight up ferret lax on hand, just the 100% pure baby vaseline stuff, and the canned pumpkin. I have some reservations giving her something to make her poo poo even more when her most recent poop has just been a mostly clear non-mucously liquid, but a quick internet search makes it seem as though a lot of ferret owners offer their fuzzies canned pumpkin for stomach woes. I'm off to work again in a bit but I might send the husband on a mission later. It looks like she got up in the middle of the night to poop and then dragged her butt on the shelf. No bloat, no hard spots on her stomach. Update! This morning at some point, Khaleesi decided to stop sleeping alone at the bottom of the cage and crawled into the hammock with her buddy Oryx, which I took to be a good sign. When I pulled back the hammock cover she immediately woke up and looked up at me, which I also took to be a good sign since she had been sleeping so listlessly the past few days. While I got ready for work, she spent a great deal of time making a mess eating kibble from the bowl (it's zupreem corn-free, EVO ferret, and a little bit of zupreem grain-free if you're wondering) and ignoring the chicken baby food I offered her, drinking some fresh water, eating a little more, drinking some water. She still seems like she's grinding her teeth but I'm glad she's eating *something* instead of completely giving up on everything. Her poop was clear but I guess there wouldn't be a whole lot of substance to it if she puked it all up last night. The house has remained cooler today because I left the air on all night, better than this stuffy hot-as-poo poo top floor nonsense. I will continue to monitor her. This weekend my project is to completely go over the house with renewed vigor to make sure there isn't anything the ferts could eat and die from. I guess the vets have memorial day bbq plans or something in this townie whitebread hell. Hoping tomorrow or Tuesday morning will get in, but I would cautiously say Khaleesi looks a little better than before, so I will go through work today with a little more optimism. Thanks for your insight CompactFanny.
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May 25, 2014 17:50
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Just so I don't leave anyone hanging, I retrieved the brush thing she ate... there was a lot more of it missing than what I found in her poop. I'm just gonna count it as a lucky lucky thing. House is much more ferretproofed, playtime is very much supervised now. When Khaleesi started to cage rage for the first time in days I guess I felt like she was getting better. She and her friend Oryx proceeded to engage in a rollicking game of chase/wrestling/ferret stuff and more or less seemed to be her normal self again. It's really wonderful seeing her back to an energetic, playful self, and I believe she is also putting on a little weight again. Lesson learned! Thanks for reading. 
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May 30, 2014 20:00
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Glad it all went well. Is the ferret mega thread now dead? I know it all got very sad as everyone's ferrets kept dying the typical horrifyingly quick deaths. My ferret did as well recently, and I'm still having a hard time coming to terms with it. If someone wanted to redo a ferret thread then at least we could all look at nice pictures!
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Jul 11, 2014 13:28
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lenoon posted:Glad it all went well. Is the ferret mega thread now dead? I know it all got very sad as everyone's ferrets kept dying the typical horrifyingly quick deaths. Yeah, the thread died a while back. I might start a new one after I get some more ferrets in a few months, but it was never all that lively to begin with.
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Jul 16, 2014 17:52
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I got out of ferret keeping because it's hopeless and sad 
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Jul 19, 2014 02:19
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CompactFanny posted:I got out of ferret keeping because it's hopeless and sad  Wish I could give up, but I just love them too much. Not having ferrets has been miserable. Other pets just suck in comparison.
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Jul 19, 2014 18:03
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I've got a couple and I know I'll be sad as hell in a couple years where they probably end up with some sort of cancer. They are biggest pains in the rear end that I have ever dealt with, but at the same time they are just so awesome and cute that I can look past that. I just kinda sigh as one attempts to steal the water bottle while I'm drinking out of it to hide under my bed as the other attempts to bury himself in the couch.
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Jul 19, 2014 22:28
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I ended up with a couple carpetsharks, here's hoping they last until I finish vet school and can significantly cut down on their inevitably high emerg bills. TBH "My ferret ate something dumb, and now she feels like crap" is a good title for a new megathread. I'm down for photo sharing when I'm not phoneposting.
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Jul 23, 2014 05:35
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We just adopted a new one last year who's dealing with splenomegaly and she might be cancery. The vet recommended a splenectomy and said he'd check the adrenals while he was in there. When we adopted her, we learned her previous owner had been comatose after she was hit while walking on foot and died 6 months later. The woman's husband had been heavily drinking and neglected her three ferrets, two of whom died within a week after arriving at the shelter. She's gone from being super withdrawn to one of the kissiest animals I've ever met, moreso than most dogs. We're just happy she's still hanging in there - she's had a rough life even at 3 (we guess). Our other two are still hanging in at 4 and 5 years old, and our 5-year-old is still hyper and sprightly. I think even after these three inevitably pass, it'll be hard to pass up getting another.
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Jul 23, 2014 23:43
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Honestly it's more of a space issue for me. If I had a place with a little more space, I would troll craigslist and adopt all the old rear end ferrets that nobody wants 
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Jul 24, 2014 01:14
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I also adore ferrets, but any of you non-ferret owners who want one, these little shits are fragile as hell in every conceivable way, are too curious for their own good, and will eventually get themselves hurt while you weren't looking. It's like supervising a two year old.
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Jul 25, 2014 07:18
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Pomp posted:I also adore ferrets, but any of you non-ferret owners who want one, these little shits are fragile as hell in every conceivable way, are too curious for their own good, and will eventually get themselves hurt while you weren't looking. It's like supervising a two year old. And they're fast as poo poo too, guaranteeing that you'll kick them while walking when they dart out in front of you mid-stride. Then you feel like a sack of crap who kicked an animal.
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Jul 28, 2014 13:21
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To be fair, cats do that too, but 
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Jul 28, 2014 14:47
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CompactFanny posted:To be fair, cats do that too, but Yeah, but my cat is 12 pounds so he does't go flying quite like a 2 lb dook does. Poor little ferretcopters.
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Jul 29, 2014 03:30
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My male ferret Ike is almost never caged, but due to a rental inspection, was caged for two days. I took him out of the cage and he was severely lethargic, with his hind legs being weak and he has urine soaked belly, most likely due to the fact that he could not properly stand up for peeing. He has always been somewhat lazy and inactive compared to other ferrets, opting to watch others and hang by himself. He sleeps way more than other ferrets, too. Anyway, now he has a fairly rapid pulse, is very weak, wrapped up in towels. He is pretty limp and he defecates very runny fecal matter that just ran down his leg without him moving much for it. He is not clawing, yelping or anything. He just silently lays still. I have no money. I can't take him to a vet. The only vet that has treated my ferrets for low cost and free is on vacation. The animal 24h hospital won't see ferrets. I am way too familar with every ferret just loving dying, but what can I try besides syringe feeding?
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Sep 27, 2014 13:44
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Vahakyla posted:My male ferret Ike is almost never caged, but due to a rental inspection, was caged for two days. Take it to the vet or it dies. If you don't have money find someone who does.
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Sep 29, 2014 00:51
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Yeah it's gonna die if it doesn't see a vet. Any vet regardless of ferret experience can euth it for you, if nothing else borrow some money and have it put down. Euthing a small animal is not usually expensive.
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Sep 29, 2014 01:07
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Well, he slept away before I could take him to be euthanized. It was very frustrating to call around doctors and have them say that they won't see him due to lack of expertise. He is a mammal, so how different can it be? I understand the lack of expertise, but I also believe that the attempt of care by any doctor would have been worth the shot.
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Sep 29, 2014 01:29
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Vahakyla posted:Well, he slept away before I could take him to be euthanized. For the same reason most vets in my area that claim to see birds wouldn't check my chickens: they are exotic animals. Or at least that's what I was told by about 7 vets last year when Roostroyer got sick . I'm gonna guess that even though birds are birds and mammals are mammals, different species react differently to certain meds?
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Sep 29, 2014 01:36
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The doc has access to meds, education, equipment and quickly reachable online libraries. Treating an ailment with his or her education and knowledge, even if the attempt is basic and careful, is ways better than just letting someone die. The doc who has taken care of my ferrets before is the go to dude when you have a tortoises, chickens, big fish and things like that. He is specialized in exotic birds, but if you have a sick elephant, he is your go-to man. He'll always see an animal, he calls around, googles a shitton, scours books, and things like that to see if he can do something. He is most likely next from God or something. ...this time he was on vacation, though. He always jokingly says that "I'll just charge the wealthy triple" when he helps low income people for no cost or for like 30bux. I wonder how much of is liability avoidance for other's, though. Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 01:38
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I'm sorry dude but from what you describe there wasn't going to be any saving your ferret even if you had gotten him to the most expert ferret vet in the world. Hopefully he didn't suffer too much.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:09
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I realize that, I wasn't implying that. I just mean that a lot of these vets told me they won't see him even before I described the ailments.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:11
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Vahakyla posted:Well, he slept away before I could take him to be euthanized. I'd bet on insulinoma. He probably had a blood sugar crash, which causes the lethargy and other symptoms. It's a common kind of cancer in ferrets. This is why it's critical to already have an emergency vet that sees ferrets lined up when you own a ferret. They are not healthy little creatures. They almost never die of natural causes. Your dude very likely could have been saved, though it would have been a matter of managing the cancer after that point.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:17
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I had a doc lined up. He just does not stay put 24-7.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:18
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I get that and it sucks, I've dealt with the same thing myself when I needed someone to help me with my rats. On the other hand having worked with vets that both do treat and don't treat exotics I do understand why they would turn you away. If a vet doesn't have the training to treat a particular species and the animal dies in their care the owner could sue the poo poo out of them. Owners sue vets because their own pet bites them during an exam that they insist on being a part of so unfortunately the vets have to cover their asses. Again, I'm really, really sorry about your ferret.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:21
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Vahakyla posted:I had a doc lined up. He just does not stay put 24-7. I mean a practice. At my vet's office, there are specific vets who take the regular appointments for ferrets because they have the most expertise, but even the other vets will see ferrets on an emergency basis. Having ferrets means you need to have access to a vet who will see them 24/7 because they can and do fall ill very quickly. I don't know if you have other ferrets or are planning to get more, but if so, definitely do your research now for next time. Also read up on insulinoma, adrenal disease, and the other types of cancers ferrets tend to get. Basically all ferrets get cancer. Some get multiple kinds of cancer, so it's good to know what to keep an eye out for since some of them can have very sudden onset of symptoms, as you experienced. I'm sorry for you and your little dude. Keeping exotics is difficult because your options are so limited for vet care.
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Sep 29, 2014 02:25
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I appreciate the condolences. Ferrets have higher highs and lower lows. I have a bunch of ferrets, one of them died due to adrenalin gland disease, one died from an injury she got while being a ferret. And now this one for an unknown reason. My areas options for ferrets are annoyingly low. There are three really great 24h hospitals that will refuse an exotic, and then there is his clinic. He has recently been the only doc in there, but he will always come from home in an emergency. I did end up giving a couple milliliters, several times, of saline solution with an IV line to my ferret to keep him going until the vet could be back, but oh well. With the guidance of a human physician nonetheless who was not worried about liability. Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 02:37
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Vahakyla posted:He is a mammal, so how different can it be? I understand the lack of expertise, but I also believe that the attempt of care by any doctor would have been worth the shot. The relationship between how much an animal weighs and how much you give them does not always correlate. Sorry about your fert.
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Sep 29, 2014 04:40
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I used the assistance of an anesthesiologist to just calculate the ratio from a similarly sick human male down to a male ferret and then gave that solution IV. It was crude but last shot to give him a day until the ferret doc would have been back. I understand the reasons, I guess. It just is sad. Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 04:45
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Vahakyla posted:I used the assistance of an anesthesiologist to just calculate the ratio from a similarly sick human male down to a male ferret and then gave that solution IV. It was crude but last shot to give him a day until the ferret doc would have been back. ... that is not how medicine should work.
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Sep 29, 2014 04:57
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I know.quote:It was crude but last shot to give him a day Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 04:59
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Yeah no, it's hard to tell if more hydration will help or hurt if you're not an actual vet. Don't just throw random IV fluids in there. And how the gently caress did you hit a vein? Ferrets are wee, that means wee veins.
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Sep 29, 2014 05:22
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Do you mean subcutaneously ie: under the skin? Edit: we are not jumping on you to be dicks. It sucks that your ferret died, and PI of all the forums understands how heartbreaking and short lived the little slinkies are. It's just that an human anesthesiologist has absolutely no reason to give advice on ANY part of ferret medication, and you have no idea if the care you gave it did anything beneficial. Tasty_Crayon fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 05:26
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Nah. I used to ride the booboolance, and I also helped my friend's vet clinic in Finland sometimes and got to practice IV with small animals. It was also a tiny-rear end cannula. I used the right side hind leg shin or whatever. I was fairly sure that there was severe dehydration due to no urine or anything in a day, and he had not had a drink and would refuse syringe water, too. Gums were dry and the neck scruff was solid, staying up. Like I said, I understand that it was not the optimal and most accurate treatment. But he was on his way out at that point, so I took a long shot. In the face of a possible detrimental iv therapy, death is still a worse outcome. Best care available versus no care is a too black-white approach into a situation where the ferret will be dead in days or a day, no matter what. I guess I can write a solid incident report where I articulate my reasoning for every step of the incident. Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 05:52 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 05:27
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Vahakyla posted:I guess I can write a solid incident report where I articulate my reasoning for every step of the incident. No one is trying to grill you, we're all just looking at what happened here and discussing how to improve for the future. No one here is a perfect pet owner, we all just try to learn from our own and each other's mistakes. Best you can do is know what you would do better next time. As a piece of honest advice in case you find yourself in a hard spot with the same symptoms again, next time your best bet is to check blood sugar first, then treat for those symptoms as best you can. They definitely need vet care and management meds as soon as possible once symptoms of insulinoma present, but you may be able to buy yourself some hours if you can get the blood sugar up and maintain it. Because once it hits, the lethargy and nausea means they won't eat and will only tank from there, to the point where even a vet may not be able to save them.
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Sep 29, 2014 16:07
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I'm trying to see what my options are for a similar case where my own doc would not be available. Honestly, his clinic has another one who is supposed to cover him in a case like this, but I don't really know what was happening with that, besides that she was not available. I'm still kind of nonfunctional, too. Handling human emergencies and violence in my profession was easy for me and I did not dwell on any of those or lose any sleep. But when it comes to my animals, I somehow can't deal with the situation at all. I don't feel like talking to people, I avoid the outside and I just retreat to a corner of my house. The only physical interaction I can handle is my wife and my other animals. It just never gets easier and I don't really understand why I can handle human side of emergencies very well but be almost incapacitated when those face my animals. Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Sep 29, 2014 |
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Sep 29, 2014 16:18
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Animals are innocent and depend on us for everything. Humans can do something to help themselves and have more free will. That makes it more of a blow when we let an animal down. It's like letting a child down.
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Oct 1, 2014 07:30
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