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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:27:49 GMT -5
I feel like I'm losing it now - with all the problems that happened these past days! About an hour ago we noticed - Gabriel is lacking any interest in play, and he is straining to poop. All day today he had normal stools and he was playful. Now he is trying to poop every 5 minutes and crying - it always results in tiny soft poops (some mucosy). He had about 5 of them now, the last one slightly bigger - but still crying. He didn't vomit, ate a little bit of his hearts, drank water - but still I hear him cry every time he goes potty. Has anyone experienced that? Should I take it as an emergency?
I've just been at the vet with Aramis today and he's being treated for enteritis..and now this....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:35:21 GMT -5
Poor Gabriel and poor Mom. I would try the blockage protocol. Do you have any canned pure pumpkin and vaseline? Even if he has not swallowed something bad and caused a blockage, at least it will be easier for him to poop. Are you familiar with the Blockage protocol? One tablespoon of pumpkin. One hour later, a teaspoon of vaseline. One hour later, a tablespoon of pumpkin One hour later, a teaspoon of vaseline. He should have a nice big orange poop. If he crashes or begins vomiting, take him to a vet. I'm tagging katt for her advice also. I'll be thinking of you both and wishing you the best
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:35:40 GMT -5
Blockage... first thing I suspect with this, or partial blockage if he is passing little bits. Do you have plain canned pumpkin and vaseline? Blockage protocol-
1st hour: 1 Tbsp pumpkin 2nd hour: 1 Tsp vaseline 3rd hour: 1 tbsp pumpkin 4th hour: 1 tsp vaseline 5th hour: 1 tbsp pumpkin
If he doesn't have a nice big orange poop within about 5 hours I'd take him to the Vet, have them do a barium x-ray to try and find the blockage, and surgery would most likely be done at that point to remove the foreign object.
Does he have any other health problems?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:44:26 GMT -5
Thak you @poncesmom , @julesalot - that's exactly what I suspected. I suspected him eating rubber when Aramis did, but he had absolutely no symptoms. It just started now (it's been 5 days or so since that event). I already started the blockage protocol the moment I saw him do that. I was wondering though if I should take him right away or try giving him pumpkin or vaseline - I assume at this point it's in the intestine and it's partial, but still.
I don't think (or know of) him having any other health problems - he's been with us for a month and a half or so, he's 2,5 y/o, but he is too skinny - he managed to gain about 100 gr since he's been here (and raw fed), but that is it....
Everything seems to happen at once, with Aramis - he's not even a year old yet (10 mo), and he's been through 2 emergencies, one blockage surgery and gastritis, now enteritis.. I can't believe it..and now Gabe just came a month or 2 ago...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:45:33 GMT -5
So very sorry to hear this. Wishing your little one the best here,too.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:48:15 GMT -5
A blockage can take a few days or even weeks to show up. I've heard it referred to as a floating blockage.
It's close to 2 a.m. there. I'd follow the protocol and then see how everything works out. You might consider a vet visit tomorrow, but let's hope that it's not necessary. Do you have an after hours clinic?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:48:43 GMT -5
He could have eaten something else, go around and check toys, check the fabric for holes, check for any foam/rubbery like things (earbuds are a favorite for them). Push pumpkin and vaseline alternating every hour, feed him if he will eat, it will help push the blockage through. After about 5 hours if he has no pumpkin poop, or he vomits or crashes take him in right away. Like mentioned above make sure they do a BARIUM x-ray and not a normal x-ray, a normal x ray more than likely won't show a blockage. And sometimes not even a barium will.
If you can take a picture of him from top and a dangling picture we can tell you if he's too skinny, some ferrets are whippet shaped and some are like bulldogs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:51:06 GMT -5
I'm sorry it's all happening at once, trust me I know what that's like, I lost 2 ferrets in 3 mo from cancer, and during which my boy got sick, it's been back and forth with everything. Lets hope he is okay, and everything smooths out after this.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 19:52:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:07:36 GMT -5
Oh @julesalot, it's hard to imagine the pain you've been through... I can't get him to eat pumpkin - I managed to get about one spoon in him, but he spit out everything else. I'll do next with vaseline. I don't know how to convince him to eat it.... Here are the pictures : I don't know his origins or anything , and it's not his size that concerns me, but the fact that when I touch him, I can feel all the corners of his skull bone (in the back) and all his ribs (not lightly, like other ferrets, but count them without even pressing with my hand). But he does have a winter coat, so it makes him look bigger. The upper side of his abdomen feels swollen - but he didn't cry at touch. We do have a 24h emergency - with surcharge of 100%, but if it will be needed, I will take him there.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:09:21 GMT -5
this is what mine ate. I did not even know this tote had rubber on it (hubbie's old camera bag) until i saw little black pieces lying on floor. I was about to do protocol and she started passing pieces
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:13:03 GMT -5
abbeytheferret6 pff... that's quite a big chunk! Aramis swallowed an earplug when he was really tiny...I checked everything in the room and in the cage - he doesn't chew on textile, the only thing missing is the piece from my watch that he probably shareed with Aramis...(or maybe the problem with Aramis was completely unrelated?)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:13:28 GMT -5
Water down the pumpkin a little and syringe it to him, he HAS to eat it, it may take a bit and he will fight but that's how I got it into mine. You can mix it with salmon oil or his food and syringe it if he takes it easier.
He looks a little narrow at the hips, could gain some but I don't think he looks bad. I can feel my boys hips and ribs more than I'd like, even though he weighs 2.6lbs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:13:58 GMT -5
You got some good people on forum with experience behind them.
Will check on you all later.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2015 20:16:32 GMT -5
I'll mix the pumpkin with oil, I think that's the only way... He doesn't want his food, so oil will probably make it easier to syringe. I tried with the syringe before but it clogged so I think I need to make it thinner.
He looked worse when we got him - actually now checking, he went from 1.2 kg to 1,45, so I think it was just bad nutrition...
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