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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 21:25:07 GMT -5
Just an update. We had another vet appt the other day. I really thought we were going to end up coming home with out him that day. But, we added ferretvite back in and upped his prednisone from .25 to .5 and .. He's gaining weight! He really doesn't like the pancreatine if it sits on the food for any length of time, which is crappy. We had an emergency situation and I got stuck staying overnight some where with him for two nights instead of just one and back home the next morning.. Well.. I forgot his pepto (we're doing alternations between pepto and immodium every few days and its really helping) and by the middle of the day the 2nd day he was in rough sorts. Made a run for pepto and dosed him up. I gave him an extra dose that night and a little extra pred, and right back on track the next day. I'm starting to look in to calcium supplementation options too. I do have reptile calcium powder, and I've added that a few times. He eats it just fine.
He is currently on a diet of fresh (but frozen for over a week) venison and lamb. I had to do an emergency night of just venison because I got home from buying lamb to find it already rotten in the package. I found a new FRESH supplier who's even cheaper and grinds it in house for me.
That messed with him a little, but not as bad as I thought it would at all. That was the first time he'd had venison as it was the only thing here other than chicken and beef, and no place in town actually sells lamb. Annnnd it was a blizzard!
I have the other ferret going to a new vet for URI treatment as he's already had two rounds of clavamox from the other vet and still sneezing. He can't have his lump removal until it clears up. This vet is closer and came with a recommendation from a vet tech I trust. I'm not sure if I'll have him do the surgery, but its easier for the URI treatment. Depending on how I like him, I'll get Riley in there too and see if he's got any additional ideas.
We have cut the amox, metrondiazole, and the cimetidine out. We're doing good on pepcid, pepto or immodium, and the prednisone. Fingers crossed for continued improvement!
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Post by Sherry on Dec 23, 2016 7:39:00 GMT -5
Glad he appears to be feeling a bit better.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 11:02:31 GMT -5
Waaaay better. I was just looking through pictures from the week I thought for sure we were putting him down.
He looks like a COMPLETELY different ferret. He was already on medication then, but it just wasn't working. But holy cow!
I'm not sure how to put pictures in here???
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Post by Sherry on Jan 3, 2017 11:08:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 13:23:32 GMT -5
So .. Like photobucket??
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Jan 3, 2017 13:47:06 GMT -5
Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/21968/ibd-insulinoma?page=2#ixzz4UjAVIT9vYou will need to set up an account in photobucket (free). Transfer pics to Photobucket from computer. Then pick the picture from your photobucket library. When the pic comes up, on the right will be a heading that says--- Share This Photo. Under heading there will be some choices---Email--Direct--Html--img. Choose img (it will briefly light up and say copied). You will paste code here. When you click the Post Quick Reply, the code will change to a picture. Anyway that is how i do it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 14:18:10 GMT -5
I used to have a photobucket account years ago. Lol. Guess I'll go set a new one up. I didn't realize the difference a few weeks makes when things are working until I compared pictures.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 18:21:53 GMT -5
Let's see if I grabbed the right code. Top image is tonight. Bottom a couple weeks ago.
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Post by Sherry on Jan 4, 2017 10:30:57 GMT -5
OMG! The difference is unreal I hate the long term issues that ferretvite and pepto cause, but in his condition you do what you need to do. The pred definitely makes a HUGE difference with both insulinoma and IBD, so hopefully you an cut those other two out soon.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2017 20:16:39 GMT -5
I don't really use the pepto very often. I mostly stick with Immodium. I'm seeing another vet Friday because the one he was seeing REALLY didn't want to do anything different. I mean, the way she was acting I'm absolutely surprised she didn't just say to put him down. She was all for subq fluids until I finished my statement about wanting to be trained to do them AT HOME.. So he could get them any time he needed. She doesn't know I've cut out the antibiotics and the pepto. She wanted to just keep him on amox, pepto, cimetidine, metro, and up the pred. After a month or so of the antibiotics, I cut them out. I saw an article online where a vet had successfully used immodium to significantly help ferrets crippled by IBD/ECE and I used the directions discribed. They also used pepcid and said it was way better tolerated flavor wise than pepto and cimetidine, so I do that now instead. I really need to figure out some high potency supplements. I know ground lamb and venison isn't really cutting it nutrition wise. But honestly, my biggest concern at the time was getting something in him that wouldn't just explode out the back end.
Honestly, he does really well with a half and half mix of lamb and venison. BUT!!!! This weekend I'm picking him up whole pheasant and quail! I wouldn't mind trying a frozen mouse or rat either. I mean.. I've had both as pets.. But I have also had to live feed a snake for friend who couldn't stomach it herself. The deer he's eating is from my back yard.. So, I'm all for local and fresh and all that.
Hes still battling the occasional flare up .. But I'm at the point where I feel I manage them okay with a little extra meds on the rough days and I'm ready to try some new things. Vitamins .. Maybe fish? Fish oil? Whole prey (or at least some crushed bone and meat). I tried some of the venison heart with him last night, but I think he was having an ehhhh day. Tonight he's poo'd way more than normal. Some of it probably a little watery, some at least formed enough for piles with formation. But, I can deal with that. It 100% beats the constant water and seed stuff.
I found a way to actually get him to drink, and I think that made a massive difference in his physical condition and his ability to withstand some flares.
I'm not an expert. But, he's not my first weasel. First definite IBD case.. And it's been quite the experience. Including break downs while driving the week I was sure was the end.. But he's my buddy. And if this vet wants to give me the meds I'd like, like that sucrafrate (sp?) And maybe the antidiarheal amforal or something like that .. I'd be keen to try to reduce the pred and dry slippery elm or something similar. If he has to stay on pred until the end, then we'll deal with that. I just know, long term, its not the greatest.
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Post by Sherry on Jan 5, 2017 10:17:45 GMT -5
The ideal is getting his IBD under control then start weaning off the pred. As he also has insulinoma, you can conceivably only do this so much, but it all helps. As for one or two proteins, if necessary that is what you do. Boris could only tolerate lamb with up to about 30% of goat or the same of venison mixed in. And those had to be done VERY slowly over the course of several days.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2017 23:42:11 GMT -5
Depending on how it was labeled, the last batch of ground venison may have had added pork fat. It either did. Or didn't. No one is really sure. However, he started having issues again after starting that batch. We've dropped back down to just lamb. However, I have noticed, and I'm pretty sure he's one that does well with rotation. However, maybe not pork. Tomorrow I'm picking up whole pheasant and/or quail. After this flare settles, we'll try that.
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Post by Sherry on Jan 6, 2017 10:20:58 GMT -5
Keep a written diary as well. It really does help. Include any and everything external that may have led to any sort of stress, like "didn't get out of cage until a hour late" etc. Looking back after a month you can often notice something you'd not have realized without the diary.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2017 11:11:16 GMT -5
I was just talking to the vet about how I needed to do that. They checked his bg today and we're at 109.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2017 14:51:20 GMT -5
Also, 3 ferrets got seen, they checked his BG and I walked out with a lot of prednisolone and carafate (yay, finally!), told I was doing really well even though I'd gone off the books per the other vet with medication. They're checking in to pricing for Charlies surgery AND hormone/blood testing for adrenal issues. Confirmed cataracts in one of the 3 dumped ferrets and it only cost me $108 today. No charge for the bg test. $9 a piece for each large quantity of meds. And $90 for office fees. They spent over an hour with us and I'm beyond happy. Applauded me for doing my research and following my gut and Rileys needs.
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