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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 16:44:43 GMT -5
I just took in a 2 year old female that someone couldn't take care of anymore. They drove about an hour and half to give me the ferret. In the pictures they sent me she looked happy and heathy, but when I finally held her I was horrified. She very very tiny, and thin. I can feel her rib cage very easily and her back bone and butt bones. Even her little head is flat. I was expecting her to be bigger than my two 5-6month old's but they are almost twice her size! She has no meat on her bones and she doesn't have much interest in food. I have been mixing her food (thankfully they gave me her food) but I mix it with warm water and she'll eat maybe a teaspoon every few hours along with a few sips of water. Her poop doesn't look good either. It's runny dark dark green. There looked like little balls of something.. I don't know.. I just know it didn't look good to me. I am taking her to the vet first thing In the morning!! I just wanted to know if anyone knew why she's not eating very much? I got her Friday and all she's really done is *Sleep. I saw her eat on her own once, but since then I haven't seen her eat a lot except when I hand feed her. She looks depressed and sick. I don't know what it could be but I'm very scared for her. I want her to be happy and play with my others. Now I'm more afraid they're going to hurt her. My deaf one tries to lay on her and it freaks me out that she's going to break one of her little bones or something. Please someone give me guidence or any ideas what might be wrong. Thank you so much!!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 16:55:54 GMT -5
Her whole situation sounds terrible! The thing that really got me were the green poops. Sounds like she's been sick for a while. Going to the vet ASAP is a good plan. Keep her hydrated, warm, and as comfortable as you can!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 17:02:01 GMT -5
Poor, poor Baby. She's had a rough time of it. Thank you for taking her in. I'm thinking she might have a blockage and has had it for awhile. Stress brings on green poop. So does ECE (green slime disease), which is easily caught from exposure to another ferret. A baby ferret can pass it on, even though they have an immunity to it. It can also present itself when the ferret has Lymphoma. I would keep her separated from your other ferrets. I know it sounds mean, but you don't want all of them to get sick. She really needs that Vet visit, what time do you go? Do you have a syringe? Can you syringe some of her kibble soupie and some water in her?
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Post by Sherry on Aug 24, 2014 18:12:16 GMT -5
Could also be starvation causing this. If she hasn't been fed then her bg is going to be very low making her feel nauseated. Definitely keep them completely separated and keep feeding her a soup made from her kibble. A tbsp every couple of hours will be good for now so that you don't overtax her system.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 22:06:14 GMT -5
Thank you all for the help! I have since separated them. I put her (her name was Snooki.... but I can't call her that. So I named her Cinnamon).. but I put her in her own cage (thankful they gave me her cage) and I cleaned it and put lots of towels and blankets and a hammock for her to sleep on and in and then I fed her a soup mix of her kibble and she drank some water. She seemed to perk up a little cause she tried to run out of the cage a time or 2. She's sleeping now and I gave my 2 other babies a bath which they were not happy with but I freaked out when I saw you guys said she could be contagious. I'm not sure if she's ever been in contact with another ferret. The owners clam she hasn't. They texted me asking how she was doing and I flat out said she's extremely underweight and doesn't look good. They seemed oblivious. I asked how long she's been loosing weight and they say she's been eating. Idiots. It makes me sick anyone with any good sense could see this ferret is not happy and healthy. I'm so thankful they decided to give her to me, cause I won't stop until she's better. I just hope it isn't too late.
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trutan85
Junior Member
Raw and Whole Prey Feeder
Thor still "beats up" her bigger younger brother.
Posts: 192
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Post by trutan85 on Aug 24, 2014 22:18:09 GMT -5
I'm glad you rescued her and definitely hope that you can pull her back from the brink. Please keep us updated on how she progresses.
And some people are just ignorant and oblivious to what's happening in front of them.
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Post by Heather on Aug 24, 2014 23:59:58 GMT -5
Thank you for taking this wee one in and fighting for her. Good luck and keep us posted ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 2:17:49 GMT -5
I just got up to feed her again and she seemed happy to see me and food. (although I have lots of food for her in her cage it seems she only eats when I hand feed her wet mix of water/kibble) then she drank a decent amount of water and she seemed to get a spark of energy. She started climbing inside her tunnel and even went to the next level in her cage and back down and took little licks of food and sips of water in-between. She also climbed out of the cage and onto my lab 2-3 times. She seemed to want to play but I put her back in her cage cause I know she needs rest. She didn't fight or protest when I shut the door and curled up to go to sleep again. I offered her food and water a couple more times but she seemed content but I could tell she feels yucky. I'm really anxious to take her to the vet in the morning. I probably won't get much sleep thinking about her and I'll make sure to wake up to be there as soon as they open!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:13:04 GMT -5
How did her vet visit go?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:38:05 GMT -5
Curious here too.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:47:15 GMT -5
She's at the vet's right now, I haven't heard anything from them yet but I hope I will soon. They were booked for today but let me drop her off for them to look at. I'm extremely anxious to hear back from them!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 15:53:46 GMT -5
Cinnamon sounds like a wonderful name for her. I so hope that all goes well. She sounds like she is full of spirit, that's a good sign. I'm hoping the vet finds her well and she just needs some good fun, some Loving bonding and a chance to play and be happy.
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Post by Heather on Aug 25, 2014 15:55:23 GMT -5
Healing candle is lit Hang in there Cinnamon ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 18:58:21 GMT -5
So, shockingly the vet couldn't find anything wrong with her. They did x-rays and said they didn't see a blockage. They also sent off a stool sample. I'm just really really shocked. If she isn't sick, why is she so thin? I don't understand if she's been eating like the previous owners claim why isn't she putting on weight? She really is a skinny thing. Her stomach/sides go inward, not out like my other fatties. Since the vet couldn't find anything wrong could I put them all back together again or no? I'd like to let them all out at the same time but I'm not sure if I should or not. Also the vet gave me Advantage Multi for cats (imidacloprid + moxidectin) is this safe for my ferret? I read somewhere that only frontline is safe for ferrets? She also gave me Biomox (amoxicillin) oral suspension for use in dogs only. If it's for dogs only, why did she give it to me for my ferret? I would've asked but I had class and my mom picked her up from the vet for me. (also have a very angry mom after vet bills and no sick ferret..) but I'm so happy she's okay! Or I hope she is. I pray the vet didn't miss something.
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Post by Heather on Aug 25, 2014 19:11:37 GMT -5
Why the antibiotic? Not saying that this isn't the right course but....The vet must suspect some type of infection. Ferrets and dogs often share meds but only certain ones, amoxicillin is a common antibiotic shared by most pets. I use Advantage if I have a flea problem but I don't know about the multi part, someone else will have to chime in on that. I'm glad that there was nothing seriously wrong. As Sherry mentioned above....being anorexic can be a cause for problems too and food is the solution. I would be very tempted to allow for a 2 week quarantine or at least until you've finished the antibiotics so you don't make the rest of your crew ill, if there is a problem. What people say they do and what they really do can often be entirely different and what the wee one was eating and being fed and what they said they were feeding may not have been entirely truthful. ciao
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