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Post by msav on Nov 22, 2014 3:29:33 GMT -5
Mogwai lately has started hacking and coughing first thing in the morning. He has some violent fits That make him bottle brush and run and hide. After about 10 - 15 mins being out he is fine.
I have given him coconut oil, salmon oil, and olive oils. He just takes a few licks and runs off.
Anyone have any ideas, It has been going on for the last 3 days, seems like he is getting worse each day.
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Post by Thérèse on Nov 22, 2014 7:55:10 GMT -5
First thing that springs to mind, is that Mogwai has probably spent the night grooming his friends while caged and when he wakes the fur is causing him to cough. It is seasonal coat change time and so extra furs about. Maybe some egg would help.
There are other things but because it is a new thing, he only does it on waking and it's that time of year, this is my first thought.
Hope Mogwai is fine
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 22, 2014 9:30:19 GMT -5
Yeah, I'd get him on raw egg a few times a week. If that doesn't clear it up then it's time for a vet visit. Regular coughing can indicate serious issues (heart issues, lymphoma, etc). I'm not saying that's what it is but it is possible. I lost my Sneakers to Juvenile Lymphoma and the only sign was about a month of coughing. By the time I got her into the vet it was to late. JL is VERY fast though so that is often the case.
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Post by msav on Nov 23, 2014 7:54:42 GMT -5
I just got back from California to bring back the rest of my stuff. My GF was telling me that he was coughing and hacking first thing in the morning.
I told her on Thursday evening to give him some egg. She gave him some egg on Friday morning after he was coughing and hacking again. Saturday there was no more coughing/ hacking. I got home last night and he was fast alseep. I went up to the cage and his eye peaked open when he saw me hi got up and got all excited. After picking him up he immediately started licking my nose. (they have such rough tongues)
This morning (I just let them out) No more hacking/coughing. So it must have been a hairball.
This happens so infrequently that is always freaks me out when it happens. I just have to remember to think about hairballs first.
This morning when Taz saw me (he was asleep last night when I got home) he started licking my ankle to get me to pick him up. After I picked him up he started to lick my nose just like Mogwai did.
They really must have missed me while I was gone.
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 8:08:55 GMT -5
Just a pet peeve of mine but I REALLY do not like the term "hairball". It was most likely hair caught in his throat. Hairballs indicate a bezoar which is a bundle of hair built up in the stomach and egg will do NOTHING for those. The egg is a PREVENTATIVE so a bezoar cannot form. Bezoar's / hairballs are a blockage risk in ferrets and not something to refer to casually. Ferrets should not get hairballs period. It is normal in cats and they can deal with them by vomiting them up, but ferrets cannot and therefore they are a SERIOUS issue.
Sorry, rant mode off now.
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Post by msav on Nov 23, 2014 8:52:08 GMT -5
for some reason my brain sees "hairball" as easier to type that "hair stuck in the throat" I never really thought that any animal would cough up a big ball of fur. Do cats actually do that. "sorry not a cat person" I don't know much about cats, except that they annoy me, I don't know why.
I never thought that Mogwai had a ball of hair in his throat. I just thought that any hair in the throat would be referred to as a "hairball"
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 9:00:37 GMT -5
Yeah, I figured as much. I'm trying to fight an uphill battle with this one. It wasn't really directed at you but more at the ferret community in general. It is a misconception that can confuse the serious nature of this in ferrets.
Yes cats can vomit up hairballs and it is actually pretty common with them so it is considered "normal". That's why the term is dangerous for ferrets "hariballs" are NOT NORMAL for ferrets and are a SERIOUS medical condition that can kill them.
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Post by msav on Nov 23, 2014 9:34:31 GMT -5
I would not think you could get enough hair off a ferret to make a ball, Unless it was an Angora or perhaps the ferret started grooming a cat or a dog. If my ferret just licked my husky once he would get a huge hairball.
They do however jump up on her and bite large tuffs of fur from her. But they always just spit it out. Perhaps some got in Mogwai's throat.
I will have to make a note as to whether the hacking starts up after he gets a mouthful of her fur.
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 12:27:47 GMT -5
The definitely can. Think during shedding season they change out their entire coat. I'm on my phone right now so I can't post pictures easily. Do a Google search for ferret bezoar.
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