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Post by Sherry on Jun 12, 2014 15:45:08 GMT -5
Hi Rachel. I honestly do not get the vet you have been seeing. Not only is he denying what any other vet would treat as classic ulcer signs, but he advised you to stop the one thing that is helping. This is going to sound a bit harsh, but please understand this is not meant at you. If he does come off the carafate, and does not have those gastric ulcers treated he could very well perforate. Which is fatal. Talk to Dee, get a new vet, and run far from the one you are seeing now. What your lad needs is antibiotic therapy, usually includes metro, amoxi, and carafate. Given how long these have gone untreated he will likely need a four to six week course. Most will give for two weeks and see. Try to get the metro transdermal from a compounding pharmacy if you can. Oral is horrendous to try getting into them, but it is highly effective.
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Post by katt on Jun 12, 2014 15:47:09 GMT -5
He also said he would all back about potentially starting antibiotics but that was like...7 hours ago. Very much not impressed. I would really, really suggest finding a new vet. And Soon. See if any I linked are close by or if Dee might have other suggestions. He needs treatment before he perfs an ulcer. It makes me nervous how long this has been going on without treatment. Between that and the BG monitor balogna....this guy clearly doesn't know what he is doing.
Anyways, your boy really needs some meds. Don't stop the carafate and definitely find another vet. Grrr!
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 15:58:37 GMT -5
I definitely wasn't going to stop the carafate--at most I was going to reduce the dose. I'll call around.
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 15:59:31 GMT -5
(And Beasley, the doctor that Dee suggested, is the one that told me to take Remus off raw in the first place and replace it with totally ferret. (headwall))
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 16:01:39 GMT -5
Should I try calling Cedar Creek about antibiotics one more time or should I just cut and run?
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Post by Sherry on Jun 12, 2014 16:03:43 GMT -5
My vet also disagrees about the raw but by now she knows I have an idea of what I am doing. Generally the concern is about lack of balance. If you do wind up seeing that one just tell him you are being mentored on how to safely feed a balanced diet.
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Post by katt on Jun 12, 2014 16:06:46 GMT -5
Fingers crossed. What dose is he on? If it comes to it, you may try that vet and at least get ulcer treatment. I NEVER recommend lying to a vet lightly (in fact I have only firmly recommended it once when the vet refused to treat a dying ferret until he was back on Marshall's kibble...) , but getting Remus' ulcers treated are a priority. If that's what it comes to though, it may well be better than not grttig any treatment... I'm in the medical field myself, I feel very strongly that it is important to be honest with medical care providers, but when something as silly as not feeding kibble impedes care to the point of putting a ferret in danger, then if a lie is what will get them good treatment so be it... The two I linked before Dee's reply were recommended by someone on HFF Facebook so maybe they will be more raw friendly.
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Post by katt on Jun 12, 2014 16:09:16 GMT -5
Should I try calling Cedar Creek about antibiotics one more time or should I just cut and run? You could try one more time, but at this point I would be looking for another vet anyways... It's going to be a battle if he ever needs more, to find a possible place for transdermal metro (Sherry I need to know more of this stuff...it isn't offered here...), if he needs 4 weeks instead of 2, etc etc.
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 16:10:34 GMT -5
Decided to try calling the vet at CC again to ask about antibiotics and found out he's gone for the day. They put me on hold for a minute and then the phone disconnected. Eff this.
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 16:13:58 GMT -5
I got Dr Beasley on the phone and he's going to get me started on Amoxi and Metro. Thank GOODNESS.
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Post by Heather on Jun 12, 2014 16:14:52 GMT -5
I agree with Sherry. Having treated many ferrets with ulcers this must be treated and the symptoms are classic. Helicobacter mustelae gastritis.....stools black, tarry or mucoid green, may show signs of vomiting, may have enlarged meseteric lymph nodes Treatment is Amoxillin 10 mg/kg Po q 12, Metronidazole 20 mg/kg PO q12h, Bismuth subsalicylate 17 mg/kg PO q12 alternative treatement Clarithromycin 50mg/kg PO q8h, ranitidine bsimuth citrate 24 mg/kg PO q8h These are standard treatment specs. My vet uses clavamox instead of clarithromycin (tastes better) Good luck with the treatments and finding a vet ciao
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Post by katt on Jun 12, 2014 16:19:34 GMT -5
I got Dr Beasley on the phone and he's going to get me started on Amoxi and Metro. Thank GOODNESS. Oh thank goodness!!!! (dance) Like Sherry said he may need longer treatment than usual just because of how long this has been going on. Hopefully with meds on board he at least starts feeling a little better soon!
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 16:30:35 GMT -5
Hopefully. He ate 15g on his own while I was sleeping, too.
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Post by katt on Jun 12, 2014 16:36:20 GMT -5
Hopefully. He ate 15g on his own while I was sleeping, too. Good boy Remus! What's the sliver:soup ratio right now? Debating on having you increase the sliver size next instead of number...
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Post by racheld on Jun 12, 2014 17:15:46 GMT -5
It's probably about 50/50. I was thinking of moving to just slivers and then increasing the size, because I know that he recognizes the slivers as food.
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