Post by Sherry on Jan 16, 2011 19:05:13 GMT -5
First part I got from Suki Crandell, a member and moderator on the Ferret Health List, a wonderful resource for everything involving ferret health. Second part came from Mustelidmusk, one of our mentors here who has had a number of her ferrets go through various surgeries.
Don't allow climbing for at least a week, preferably longer. Not
many ferrets are lost post-op but I have noticed that a large number
of the ones who die after a very standard surgery were climbing, even
if it was just cage ramps.
Do watch for stitch pulling. Not many do it, but some remove their
own stitches or those of others. Surgical glue over stitches helps
make that difficult to impossible.
[Later Note: if a seroma occurs then staples help keep all intact.]
Have newspaper, paper towels of something similar there for
bathroom use until the ferret is able to get into a low access litter
pot and then use a recycled newspaper litter during recovery.
Check incision at least once a day, preferably more often.
Expect some bruising which will resolve but if it gets to be too
much, esp. if the gums also get pale get vet care.
Sometimes after stitches come out there may be a missed stitch.
You'd be amazed at how many puzzling signs can sometimes
resolve just by removing a missed stitch.
Right after surgery body temp is prone to dropping; keep the
ferret warm enough. That actually is not hard to do with bedding
(sometimes with an assist) and doesn't require any fire-hazards
like some electric heating pads which pose cord-biting, overheating,
or covering risks.
Food and water are needed. Hydration is essential. If the skin
gets loose or the gums get tacky your animal is dehydrated. Food
is essential. After surgery it is often helpful to feed a/d or meat
baby food mixed with warmed water and to put a towel on your lap
and slowly offer the food to the ferret by finger or spoon while
speaking encouragingly or singing. Your vet may suggest that you
buy a tube of Nutrical. It is a supplement which also offers sugars.
Some times after surgery for anyone the strain can cause some
sugar drops to happen and this will help reduce the nausea and
dizziness that can cause.
[There is now also a repair food called Carnivore Care that many swear
by so if your vet carries that consider getting some.]
(Nutrical is no longer advised due to the high sugar content)
*****************************************************
Here are the things I've found with both my ferts and my own surgeries.....
The first 12-24 hours are the most critical. Nearly ALL vets do invasive surgeries in the morning so they can monitor the patients before sending them home. A lot of vets schedule all surgeries for on morning every week. Because ferts can be sensitive to missing meals, and because they need to have food withdrawn hours before surgery can, I schedule my brats for the earliest appointment in the day. This also gives the fert the max time for post-op observation at the vet's office before you take him home. I pick up my ferts at the vet's office at the end of my vet's work day. This also has the benefit of being able to chat with the vet after his last appointment.
You want to have EVERYTHING cleaned and set up BEFORE your ferret comes home from the vet.
1. Plan isolating our ferrt in a small area. a small cage with ramps and shelves removed works well as long as your fert is familair ith the cage and will not try to escape. Test this out in advance of the surgery. The bathroom works well as long as nothing is on the floor (waste basket or other climbing items) and as long as your fert is not the type to try to get into the tub. YES! remove the shelves as well as the ramps. Ferts have magically appeared on the top shelves of cages that have no ramps with a couple of hours of arriving home!
2. Clean/sanitize the cage (or bathroom) floors, bedding, etc.
3. set up paper towels (you can use news papers under the paper towels, but you want your fert on a clean surface - no newsprint) You can also buy those puppy pads (unscented of course) that have the stay-dry linings. But you may want to pratice with these beore the surgery - some brats love to rip those up and eat them.
4. have clean water and food near by on an absorbent towel. Put out small amounts of food and refresh it often. Be prepared to monitor input and output.
5.or fert will needa a dark, soft, warm nest box. You want your fert to remain quiet . Your fert will probably want to burrow under a blanket. The blankets should not be too big so your fert does not have to thrash to arrange them. Light-colored, highly absorbant bedding woks best it il easier to identify any seepage from the incision, vomit, etc.
Assuming you ferret is out of post-op before noon, you ferret has proabably spent the first 6 post-op hours at the vets.
Everything should be ready when you get home from the vet's office with your fert. (food can be put out fresh after your fert arrives home.)
When your fert gets home, hold him and allow him to sniff his brothers and sisters briefly. This will give him a snes of comfort that things will be normal again.
Let your ferret sleep. You heal when you sleep - not when you're awake.
Check on your ferrt every about every 2-3 hours on the first evening home. Wake him up and encourage him to walk around a bit. If everything seems fine, you can allow him to sleep through the night. I make my ferts get up twice before I go to bed on the first night home. This way I can evaluate how things are going. Plus, if you ever have surgery, they now make you get up and move around so the cut muscles do not stiffen up too much. Stiff muscles are very painful after surgery. So a little movement is good . It also keeps the blood moving as well. Offer food, , water, and a potty when your fert is up. Be sure to speak softly and be very gentle/slow when handling your fert.
If at all possible, plan on taking at least a half-day off from work on the day after the surgery. This will get you through the worst timeframe. The second half of the next day. In the morining, I make sure I watch my fert get up eat and drink, etc, when I first wake up. I'll probably make sure he gets up, eats, drinks etc. mid morning, and 'll get him up arond noon to evaluate him before I go to work(If Igo!)
Of course, If you have any worries, do not hestitae to call the vet!!!
Depending on the ferret, it may be better to return ramps to the cages and/or let your fert be with at least one gentle sibling sooner rather than later. I had one fert that was actually more elf-destructive when he was by himself. He climed the cage and would hang there unless he could be with is brother. So much for removing shelves, etc!!!!
Be dilligent with any meds. and time them correctly - your fert is dealing with anesthesia, so you'll want to be spacing out any meds as prescribed. This may be very important the first and second days after surgery.
Of course, eating, drinking and going potty are all very important. Keep things clean. If the incision looks red/swollen, you can dab a little hydrogen peroxide on it.
Another thing you 'll want to do is ask your vet what all was done in the surgery. If a small cyst ot nodudle is removed from a spleen or liver, blood seepage from the incision may be normal. Sometimes, blood can pool under an incision. When the fert gets up and moves around, all the pooled up blood can come through the incision. It's a scary thing. This might happen once. If it does, clean the icision up and check it again. If the blood poold up again, call the vet. Ask your vet about possible seepage, how much is OK, what to expect, etc.
Don't allow climbing for at least a week, preferably longer. Not
many ferrets are lost post-op but I have noticed that a large number
of the ones who die after a very standard surgery were climbing, even
if it was just cage ramps.
Do watch for stitch pulling. Not many do it, but some remove their
own stitches or those of others. Surgical glue over stitches helps
make that difficult to impossible.
[Later Note: if a seroma occurs then staples help keep all intact.]
Have newspaper, paper towels of something similar there for
bathroom use until the ferret is able to get into a low access litter
pot and then use a recycled newspaper litter during recovery.
Check incision at least once a day, preferably more often.
Expect some bruising which will resolve but if it gets to be too
much, esp. if the gums also get pale get vet care.
Sometimes after stitches come out there may be a missed stitch.
You'd be amazed at how many puzzling signs can sometimes
resolve just by removing a missed stitch.
Right after surgery body temp is prone to dropping; keep the
ferret warm enough. That actually is not hard to do with bedding
(sometimes with an assist) and doesn't require any fire-hazards
like some electric heating pads which pose cord-biting, overheating,
or covering risks.
Food and water are needed. Hydration is essential. If the skin
gets loose or the gums get tacky your animal is dehydrated. Food
is essential. After surgery it is often helpful to feed a/d or meat
baby food mixed with warmed water and to put a towel on your lap
and slowly offer the food to the ferret by finger or spoon while
speaking encouragingly or singing. Your vet may suggest that you
buy a tube of Nutrical. It is a supplement which also offers sugars.
Some times after surgery for anyone the strain can cause some
sugar drops to happen and this will help reduce the nausea and
dizziness that can cause.
[There is now also a repair food called Carnivore Care that many swear
by so if your vet carries that consider getting some.]
(Nutrical is no longer advised due to the high sugar content)
*****************************************************
Here are the things I've found with both my ferts and my own surgeries.....
The first 12-24 hours are the most critical. Nearly ALL vets do invasive surgeries in the morning so they can monitor the patients before sending them home. A lot of vets schedule all surgeries for on morning every week. Because ferts can be sensitive to missing meals, and because they need to have food withdrawn hours before surgery can, I schedule my brats for the earliest appointment in the day. This also gives the fert the max time for post-op observation at the vet's office before you take him home. I pick up my ferts at the vet's office at the end of my vet's work day. This also has the benefit of being able to chat with the vet after his last appointment.
You want to have EVERYTHING cleaned and set up BEFORE your ferret comes home from the vet.
1. Plan isolating our ferrt in a small area. a small cage with ramps and shelves removed works well as long as your fert is familair ith the cage and will not try to escape. Test this out in advance of the surgery. The bathroom works well as long as nothing is on the floor (waste basket or other climbing items) and as long as your fert is not the type to try to get into the tub. YES! remove the shelves as well as the ramps. Ferts have magically appeared on the top shelves of cages that have no ramps with a couple of hours of arriving home!
2. Clean/sanitize the cage (or bathroom) floors, bedding, etc.
3. set up paper towels (you can use news papers under the paper towels, but you want your fert on a clean surface - no newsprint) You can also buy those puppy pads (unscented of course) that have the stay-dry linings. But you may want to pratice with these beore the surgery - some brats love to rip those up and eat them.
4. have clean water and food near by on an absorbent towel. Put out small amounts of food and refresh it often. Be prepared to monitor input and output.
5.or fert will needa a dark, soft, warm nest box. You want your fert to remain quiet . Your fert will probably want to burrow under a blanket. The blankets should not be too big so your fert does not have to thrash to arrange them. Light-colored, highly absorbant bedding woks best it il easier to identify any seepage from the incision, vomit, etc.
Assuming you ferret is out of post-op before noon, you ferret has proabably spent the first 6 post-op hours at the vets.
Everything should be ready when you get home from the vet's office with your fert. (food can be put out fresh after your fert arrives home.)
When your fert gets home, hold him and allow him to sniff his brothers and sisters briefly. This will give him a snes of comfort that things will be normal again.
Let your ferret sleep. You heal when you sleep - not when you're awake.
Check on your ferrt every about every 2-3 hours on the first evening home. Wake him up and encourage him to walk around a bit. If everything seems fine, you can allow him to sleep through the night. I make my ferts get up twice before I go to bed on the first night home. This way I can evaluate how things are going. Plus, if you ever have surgery, they now make you get up and move around so the cut muscles do not stiffen up too much. Stiff muscles are very painful after surgery. So a little movement is good . It also keeps the blood moving as well. Offer food, , water, and a potty when your fert is up. Be sure to speak softly and be very gentle/slow when handling your fert.
If at all possible, plan on taking at least a half-day off from work on the day after the surgery. This will get you through the worst timeframe. The second half of the next day. In the morining, I make sure I watch my fert get up eat and drink, etc, when I first wake up. I'll probably make sure he gets up, eats, drinks etc. mid morning, and 'll get him up arond noon to evaluate him before I go to work(If Igo!)
Of course, If you have any worries, do not hestitae to call the vet!!!
Depending on the ferret, it may be better to return ramps to the cages and/or let your fert be with at least one gentle sibling sooner rather than later. I had one fert that was actually more elf-destructive when he was by himself. He climed the cage and would hang there unless he could be with is brother. So much for removing shelves, etc!!!!
Be dilligent with any meds. and time them correctly - your fert is dealing with anesthesia, so you'll want to be spacing out any meds as prescribed. This may be very important the first and second days after surgery.
Of course, eating, drinking and going potty are all very important. Keep things clean. If the incision looks red/swollen, you can dab a little hydrogen peroxide on it.
Another thing you 'll want to do is ask your vet what all was done in the surgery. If a small cyst ot nodudle is removed from a spleen or liver, blood seepage from the incision may be normal. Sometimes, blood can pool under an incision. When the fert gets up and moves around, all the pooled up blood can come through the incision. It's a scary thing. This might happen once. If it does, clean the icision up and check it again. If the blood poold up again, call the vet. Ask your vet about possible seepage, how much is OK, what to expect, etc.