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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 10:50:40 GMT -5
Can someone tell me possible symptoms for hair balls? I tried searching on the forum but I couldn't find anything that way. ( haha ;A; I think I have ferret fur up my nose. I need to quit sniffing ferrets ahhh)
I was just watching Haru and noticed she does this weird sound so I thought "Is she getting sick...?" but then I remembered they just started shedding their coat. I'll try and get a video of her doing it later, it may be hard though. I'm not sure how to describe the sound, but it sounds kind of like a wheezing cough (like asthma- since I have asthma and it was very similar) She's only started doing it today as well. It seems she does it after eating or drinking. It's also once off, so she coughs once after eating/drinking or grooming herself. (I'm going to note all this in her journal as well.)
Other than listing symptoms, What can I do to help her? I will start brushing, but how many times per day? I read that they can't vomit them up, so they would have to poop them out wouldn't they? When is the best time to book a vet appointment if it becomes necessary? (I'm assuming about a week?)
If there's other threads on here that I missed on hairballs, I would love to see those. Also any relating articles would be great since ferret hair balls are very new to me as well. ;u; Oh and while we're here, If there are other threads with information on ferret cold or ferret flu, I would appreciate the link. I should probably start studying on those now.^^
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Post by Sherry on Aug 23, 2015 11:18:41 GMT -5
Actually, ferret "hairballs" are trichobezoars. And you really want to avoid them as they can be fatal for ferrets. They are incapable of bringing them up like a cat so the fur builds and builds in the stomach until it forms a blockage. That is where raw egg is so good. The raw lecithin in the egg actually breaks down the fats binding the fur together allowing it to pass through harmlessly. Whole prey works like a tiny "roto-router" and pushes everything through when they eat it. So the signs and symptoms for a ferret are the same as in a blockage. They CAN however get a bit of fur stuck in the throat and it can cause some pretty serious sounding coughing. Here is a link to an example of how bad it can sound: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/11403/cough-fur-stuck
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