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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 12:24:58 GMT -5
Hello. It has been about a month since I've had to resort to this forum for help, but I find myself in an anxious tizzy over my ferret Tommen. When I first got Tommen about 2 months ago he had a slight anal prolapse and a nasty case of diaherra. I switched Tommen to a raw soupie diet immediately and his prolapse and diaherra went away. The vet also gave me medicine to help with his intestinal upset. Tommen has been on a raw diet ever since and he is eating a lot! He is catching up to my other ferret in size and he is energetic and playful as can be (most of the time to my dismay.) However I am still concerned about Tommen's health.
Ever since I got Tommen his stools have been the ugliest, weirdest and stinkiest stools I've ever seen, and they're also very inconsistent in characteristics. He's had yellow poops, green poops, gray poops, slimey poops, poops that look like puke. The only thing his poops have in common is the smell. It is the most God awful smell I have ever smelled. I have to change the litter everyday because one of his poops stink the whole room up. :/ I've even tested out different proteins to see if it's an allergy but no matter what the boy eats his poop is rancid. It also doesn't help that he is the most stubborn ferret ever about being potty trained. The vet told me he would have weird poops but I didn't think it would go on for two months!
But the real reason I am on here today is because Tommen woke me up this morning with his retching and hacking. When I fed him he ate as usual but about an hour later he began full out vomiting EVERYWHERE. And he is still vomiting, it's been going on for about an hour now. At first I figured maybe he just ate a little too fast because Oberyn has done this before. But as it is persisting I am increasingly becoming more worried. The vet is closed until Monday and I also don't have a lot of money until after the holidays. I read up online and I think he may have a parasite? This terrifies me because I am already so anxious about feeding raw and if I gave him a parasite I would never forgive myself. ; (
What do you guys think is going on with Tommen? And is there anything I can do to settle his stomach? I'm very worried right now!
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Post by crazylady on Dec 12, 2015 13:24:46 GMT -5
Hi you need to make sure he is kept hydrated so get plenty fluids into him if he will lap warm soup give him that he may be vomiting due to drinking to fast lots of kits do that if they inhale the food instead of drinking it you need something like carafate to line his stomach before eating ( that's normally given before harsh meds or if your ferret is suspected of having an ulcer it simply coats the stomach wall ) don't start thinking parasites or you giving him anything I have been a raw meat feeder for over 48 years I have raised its on whole carcases of ever description ( rabbit pigeon etc ) all caught and feed as they come minus the gut fur feathers and everything and in all those years non of them have caught any type of parasite ( well maybe my hunting ferrets have picked up an odd tick but they are easily removed lol) I would simply keep giving him warm fluids give his tummy a few hours to settle then try him with a little chicken soup ( chicken is bland ) may I also ask if your vet gave him any antibiotics ? if so the balance of his stomach maybe upset and he may need a little plain yoghurt to out back the good bacteria that the antibiotics have destroyed please let us know how your baby is doing take care bye for now
Bev
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Post by Heather on Dec 12, 2015 16:17:14 GMT -5
I agree with Crazylady, it's unlikely to be a parasite but it could be a bacterial overload, this occasionally happens in a switch. The stench could be that or the simple fact that he's going through detox and when he starts eating real food it will stop (remember soupy is just a between, it's not a end meal)
Now for the vomiting....it's concerning but it could be something simple like a bit of fur or hair that has caused him to start vomiting. Ferrets are a bit of an over the top drama queens when it comes to vomiting. It's very hard on them and sometimes they scare themselves. I don't want to ease things though because this could still be serious. The stools you describe are very normal for raw fed, early switch. The stools are going to reflect whatever they've eaten...heavy on blood, dark, shiny stools. Organ meats, black tarry stools. Eggs...often thick yellow to pale beige stools depending on type of eggs.
Has he stopped vomiting? What is his activity level like, now? What are his stools like? Is it possible that he has a blockage? Will he accept food at this point, even water to see if it triggers vomiting. If it does you know he will have to be vetted
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 22:53:08 GMT -5
He has stopped puking for now but he's still coughing and retching occasionally making me very paranoid! He is energetic and hyper as can be! (Side note: he is SUCH a naughty boy lol)
By the way, he isnt on a soup diet anymore, I switched him from soup to a frankenprey model after about a week and a half. He has been eating whole pieces of meat and bones like my other ferret for over a month now. Speaking of my other ferret, Oberyn, he hardly had any weird poops at all in his switch, so that's why I'm worried for Tommen.
When you say Chicken soup what kind do you mean? Like Campbells chicken soup or is it a certain kind? I've been reading that olive oil is good for its anti-inflammatory properties, would you recommend that as well?
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Post by lyles on Dec 12, 2015 23:32:25 GMT -5
The stench is a good indication of bacterial overgrowth. Smell of poop is the byproduct of bacteria breaking down sugars and carbohydrates primarily. Less offensive smells is from the breakdown of protein. The more bacteria is present the stronger the smell gets. That's why kibble fed poops are often much stronger smelling because carbohydrates are a superfood for bacteria.
As Heather said, there is most likely an unbalance of bacteria as a result of the antibiotics. Plain yogurt is fine, but if you want to get more beneficial bacteria in a shorter amount of time there are also dry cap probiotics that you can sprinkle on their food, which I would recommend due to yogurt being a milk product and if their bowels are already irritated it could cause diarreah.
Another possibility is a food allergy, but try the probiotics first for a week and see if there is any improvement..
No no no no, not canned soup! lol Chicken soup as in raw chicken ground up finely in a blender or food processor with liquid to make it a watery mush.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2015 9:51:40 GMT -5
Where can I buy these probiotics? And I figured canned chicken soup sounded a little off, that's why I wanted to clarify! Lol
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Post by lyles on Dec 13, 2015 10:04:42 GMT -5
Where can I buy these probiotics? And I figured canned chicken soup sounded a little off, that's why I wanted to clarify! Lol You can find the probiotics in your natural cure and supplement section of your grocery store or pharmacy. Most stores carry such a section today. If you can't find any locally then try an online shop like Amazon. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 0:32:33 GMT -5
Probiotics seem to be working, his poops are starting to look (and smell) a bit better!
He's reluctant to drink the chicken soup up, I don't know why. My other ferret can't seem to get enough of it, he's always jealous that Tommen is getting it and not him! Lol. With that being said he is still hacking and coughing a lot, and I believe it's because he isn't drinking enough. (He'd rather splash in his water than drink it.) How can I encourage him to drink more?
Also, I forgot to mention that he isn't eating like he normally does anymore. He used to devour all of his food in one sitting, I LOVED IT. I didn't have to worry about him stashing at all because he just ate every bit and usually would find Oberyn's stash and eat it too! However lately he's just been stopping after eating a few pieces, and he doesn't even stash half the time. It's pretty bizarre. Other than that his temperament hasn't changed at all. He's energetic and playful and down right naughty! I don't think he's hungry, his figure looks healthy, he's slightly underweight for a 4 month old but he was underweight when I got him and the vet said it looks like he has a growth stunt. Oberyn, who's 6 months, doesn't eat too terribly much either. I provide them both 4 oz a day however they usually only eat 3 to 3 & 1/2. Tommen was eating nearly 5oz a day until this coughing started happening.
He seems so healthy and I think I may be over thinking but I can't help but worry about the little guy. I knew when I got him he'd give me plenty of sleepless nights haha.
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Post by lyles on Dec 17, 2015 11:43:26 GMT -5
Probiotics seem to be working, his poops are starting to look (and smell) a bit better! He's reluctant to drink the chicken soup up, I don't know why. My other ferret can't seem to get enough of it, he's always jealous that Tommen is getting it and not him! Lol. With that being said he is still hacking and coughing a lot, and I believe it's because he isn't drinking enough. (He'd rather splash in his water than drink it.) How can I encourage him to drink more? Also, I forgot to mention that he isn't eating like he normally does anymore. He used to devour all of his food in one sitting, I LOVED IT. I didn't have to worry about him stashing at all because he just ate every bit and usually would find Oberyn's stash and eat it too! However lately he's just been stopping after eating a few pieces, and he doesn't even stash half the time. It's pretty bizarre. Other than that his temperament hasn't changed at all. He's energetic and playful and down right naughty! I don't think he's hungry, his figure looks healthy, he's slightly underweight for a 4 month old but he was underweight when I got him and the vet said it looks like he has a growth stunt. Oberyn, who's 6 months, doesn't eat too terribly much either. I provide them both 4 oz a day however they usually only eat 3 to 3 & 1/2. Tommen was eating nearly 5oz a day until this coughing started happening. He seems so healthy and I think I may be over thinking but I can't help but worry about the little guy. I knew when I got him he'd give me plenty of sleepless nights haha. It's not that bizarre actually, since when bowels become irritable from an unbalanced gut flora the food will not be properly digested and will move through the GI tract at a much faster pace, which is another reason why the poops smell so bad. Now that the gut flora is returning back to normal, nutrients are being processed like they should and thus the ferret does not need to consume as much to get what they need. |
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Post by unclejoe on Dec 17, 2015 18:12:43 GMT -5
they're all different. If one is eating less than the other, as long as it's enough and consistent I wouldn't worry too much. If necessary, you can isolate them and closely measure the amount they eat so you can be sure they are both eating enough.
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