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Post by powerwoman on Mar 30, 2019 3:15:58 GMT -5
Today I noticed my ferret tearing up as he ate his kibble. I saw the same thing yesterday but assumed it was dust/fluff in his eyes (he's shedding like crazy right now, what with spring). His teeth are not in the best shape-- I try to brush them everyday, but they've had issues since I got him. He squirms and shakes a bit (probably excitement? he gets a reward + sometimes tries to play when its done) when I brush his teeth, but never reacts when I touch his teeth with my finger (figured he hates the taste/foreign object-- always felt bad about the discomfort, but never thought he was in any pain. I've had him checked out, and he's super happy when I finish brushing his teeth- he gets a drop of fish oil as reward, and knows it.)
He's also looks a bit skinnier, I think, but I assumed this was the normal seasonal weight loss.
I think it's probably dental related, but can't be sure-- read something online about ear infection causing the same symptom?? Don't think I'll be able to get an appointment till the week. Sort of panicking. Put some water in his food to make things easier on him, outside this not sure what to do. Please let me know if you have any advice beyond this, I would really really appreciate it. I'm really worried right now, hate to think about him suffering at all.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Apr 1, 2019 9:51:16 GMT -5
Do let us know. All information greatly appreciated.
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Post by powerwoman on Apr 2, 2019 15:59:15 GMT -5
Do let us know. All information greatly appreciated. Finally managed to get an appointment with an exotics vet tomorrow morning (regular vet out of town), I'll update this thread afterwards and keep you posted! |
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Post by peacexlovexpets on Apr 2, 2019 22:40:21 GMT -5
How bad is the tearing up? As in, it is dripping down his face/similar to crying, or is just watery eyes? Do you have another ferret to compare it to that doesn't have the same symptoms?
Due to how the tear ducts are stimulated (both parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation) it could be just excessive stimulation from the smell of his food (completely normal, as parasympathetic innervation will increase salivation in the presence of food as well). One of my three boys tends to have watery eyes (noticeably watery, but never dripping wet) when I wake him up from naps or when I give him treats, so it could be just an irregular amount of stimulation to the glands in his eyes.
Honestly, unless it is dripping wet, as long as his eyes don't seem irritated (squinty as in he scratched his eye-happens a lot in guinea pigs and rats) I wouldn't be all that concerned.
As far as ear infections causing eye problems-it is often more common for upper respiratory tract infections (sinus blockage in the nose) to cause an eye problem than it is for an ear infection. If he has any kind of cold (sneezing more than normal, clear or more viscous fluid present/dripping from the nose on occasion) that could cause eye irritation as well. Another thing that causes eye irritation is dental problems at the root of the teeth, so the portion of the tooth housed in the skull.
Do you use toothpaste when you brush his teeth? I trained my boys on a chicken flavored toothpaste (started with mixing it with salmon oil before eventually omitting the oil entirely) it is enzymatic in action and seems to work great. I use it for my ferrets (with a modified soft bristle baby toothbrush) and my dog and haven't had any dental problems yet.
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Post by powerwoman on Apr 3, 2019 17:16:31 GMT -5
Update-- apparently he's got a yeast infection in one of his ears-- I'm gonna treat that for the next 10 days (he'll just LOVE that), and keep an eye on him. We're not sure if that's the cause, but I'm glad we caught that.
His teeth aren't looking great, and she recommended I get a cleaning done in the next month or so. Looking into specialists in the area. If anyone has any recommendations in VA and/or around DC, let me know!
The good news is he doesn't seem to be suffering, and hasn't lost weight. The vet's doing more research in the meantime, I'll update again when we know more.
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Post by powerwoman on Apr 3, 2019 17:25:17 GMT -5
How bad is the tearing up? As in, it is dripping down his face/similar to crying, or is just watery eyes? Do you have another ferret to compare it to that doesn't have the same symptoms? Due to how the tear ducts are stimulated (both parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation) it could be just excessive stimulation from the smell of his food (completely normal, as parasympathetic innervation will increase salivation in the presence of food as well). One of my three boys tends to have watery eyes (noticeably watery, but never dripping wet) when I wake him up from naps or when I give him treats, so it could be just an irregular amount of stimulation to the glands in his eyes. Honestly, unless it is dripping wet, as long as his eyes don't seem irritated (squinty as in he scratched his eye-happens a lot in guinea pigs and rats) I wouldn't be all that concerned. As far as ear infections causing eye problems-it is often more common for upper respiratory tract infections (sinus blockage in the nose) to cause an eye problem than it is for an ear infection. If he has any kind of cold (sneezing more than normal, clear or more viscous fluid present/dripping from the nose on occasion) that could cause eye irritation as well. Another thing that causes eye irritation is dental problems at the root of the teeth, so the portion of the tooth housed in the skull. Do you use toothpaste when you brush his teeth? I trained my boys on a chicken flavored toothpaste (started with mixing it with salmon oil before eventually omitting the oil entirely) it is enzymatic in action and seems to work great. I use it for my ferrets (with a modified soft bristle baby toothbrush) and my dog and haven't had any dental problems yet. The tearing up isn't extreme or seem to be bothering him, but it's not something I've seen before. He's shedding a lot, and I guess it's possible that's irritating him-- I'll do what I can about that, but I'm not sure why he'd only get teary-eyed when eating if that was the cause. I use oxyfresh gel, though I was thinking about switching over to an enzymatic toothpaste instead. He's had issues since I got him, and it's been something of an uphill battle ever since, especially in this past year. He'll probably need a cleaning soon, unfortunately, which I'm worrying over. Thanks sm for all the info! I haven't dealt with this issue before, or heard of it even, and I'm still trying to work out exactly what's up. I appreciate it! |
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Post by powerwoman on Apr 4, 2019 18:26:33 GMT -5
How bad is the tearing up? As in, it is dripping down his face/similar to crying, or is just watery eyes? Do you have another ferret to compare it to that doesn't have the same symptoms? Due to how the tear ducts are stimulated (both parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation) it could be just excessive stimulation from the smell of his food (completely normal, as parasympathetic innervation will increase salivation in the presence of food as well). One of my three boys tends to have watery eyes (noticeably watery, but never dripping wet) when I wake him up from naps or when I give him treats, so it could be just an irregular amount of stimulation to the glands in his eyes. Honestly, unless it is dripping wet, as long as his eyes don't seem irritated (squinty as in he scratched his eye-happens a lot in guinea pigs and rats) I wouldn't be all that concerned. As far as ear infections causing eye problems-it is often more common for upper respiratory tract infections (sinus blockage in the nose) to cause an eye problem than it is for an ear infection. If he has any kind of cold (sneezing more than normal, clear or more viscous fluid present/dripping from the nose on occasion) that could cause eye irritation as well. Another thing that causes eye irritation is dental problems at the root of the teeth, so the portion of the tooth housed in the skull. Do you use toothpaste when you brush his teeth? I trained my boys on a chicken flavored toothpaste (started with mixing it with salmon oil before eventually omitting the oil entirely) it is enzymatic in action and seems to work great. I use it for my ferrets (with a modified soft bristle baby toothbrush) and my dog and haven't had any dental problems yet. The tearing up isn't extreme or seem to be bothering him, but it's not something I've seen before. He's shedding a lot, and I guess it's possible that's irritating him-- I'll do what I can about that, but I'm not sure why he'd only get teary-eyed when eating if that was the cause. I use oxyfresh gel, though I was thinking about switching over to an enzymatic toothpaste instead. He's had issues since I got him, and it's been something of an uphill battle ever since, especially in this past year. He'll probably need a cleaning soon, unfortunately, which I'm worrying over. Thanks sm for all the info! I haven't dealt with this issue before, or heard of it even, and I'm still trying to work out exactly what's up. I appreciate it! Sorry, forgot to clarify before-- his eyes are pretty watery, and he does squint one of them. However, when he isn't eating he's totally normal, clear eyed, wide open. I tried flushing one out with some cold water just now (he hated that), didn't seem to help much yet but we'll see. |
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Post by powerwoman on Apr 25, 2019 10:44:53 GMT -5
Finished treating his ear infection a while back, but noticed the same issue again today.
Stool is weird/loose, but that could be due to stress (had to move some furniture yesterday, which was pretty loud).
I noticed some coughing/gasping last night, not persistent but he did sound sort of like he had something in his throat? In addition to tearing up while eating just now, he did briefly choke on some food and cough it back up-- this could be totally unrelated, but I thought I'd mention it.
I'm worried he might have a hairball, though he is eating, drinking and active. Thinking about giving him some vaseline as a laxative: does anyone have a recommendation for amounts (haven't been able to find anything specific).
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Post by Heather on Apr 25, 2019 20:29:52 GMT -5
You can try the blockage protocol but make sure you have access to your vet in case things go bad. 1 tbsp of pumpkin, followed by 1 tsp of vaseline an hour later and repeat until you get a large orange stool or 4 hrs of treatment.
ciao
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