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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 10, 2020 2:58:01 GMT -5
i just took away a blanket from my ferret’s cage because i noticed she was chewing on it and it looked like some of the blanket fluff was missing. she has gagged a couple of times and has diarrhea/is straining and grunting when trying to go, but is still eating and drinking and active.
should i try giving her some canned pumpkin to help the blanket fluff pass through? is canned pumpkin on its own enough? i don’t like the idea of vaseline since it can cause malabsorption. would a ferret with a possible blockage still eat normally? i have tried googling it and can’t really find any answers.
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Post by unclejoe on Oct 10, 2020 13:46:49 GMT -5
do the pumpkin first. the vaseline will also pass. I hope she's ok. she will continue to eat until the blockage starts to cause discomfort. at that point it becomes an emergency. She may not even develop a blockage, which is the point of the protocol. I hope she's ok.
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 10, 2020 14:10:17 GMT -5
her stools are almost back to normal and she hasn’t gagged since last night and no throw up at all. she is still eating like a little piggy and definitely not dehydrated. i haven’t given her any pumpkin because i didn’t have any on hand last night (thought i did). she seems to be okay now. should i give her pumpkin still even if her poops are 95% back to normal?
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Oct 10, 2020 15:12:05 GMT -5
Here is the blockage protocol if you ever need it. The vaseline is so thick that I add a little egg yolk or u can add a little salmon oil something to make it less thick(as well as make it more palatable to ferret) I believe it is my waardy that will eat the vaseline as it is. holisticferretforum.com/health/blockages/blockage-protocol/If you still feel uncertain, go ahead and use some pumpkin. Don't be afraid to use vaseline protocol when you feel necessary. My main concern was--- how am i going to make the ferret eat this stuff? Thus the doctoring with the egg yolk. I may have even put some yolk in in the pumpkin. It has been so long ago. Once my boy got into a silk plant, and he shredded up the styrofoam that held it into place. I had him at the vets, and they did a barium x-ray--- which the chalky stuff passes thru the intestines and comes out like caulking. It helps push things out as well. The pumpkin should not be the pie pumpkin mix --u know with spices and things--- just 100% pumpkin. of course the vaseline should be plain too --no menthol |
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 9:12:16 GMT -5
well, maybe i spoke too soon. her stools were fine over the weekend and went back to normal without any pumpkin or vaseline at all. late last night and this morning, i noticed that they are now small and thin. she is still eating a lot, and but the chewing on things she isn’t supposed to is getting out of hand. i guess my questions are:
1.) any ideas on what could be causing the intermittent “bad” stools? could it really be a blockage (maybe floating?) or IBD or something along those lines?
1.5.) what other symptoms should i watch for with the above question?
2.) the chewing is because she’s teething, i’m pretty sure. i haven’t tried raw foods with her yet except egg yolk. otherwise she’s still on kibble. any advice on how to help with the teething/chewing?
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 9:14:18 GMT -5
she is still eating a lot, and and drinking and active* |
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Post by Corvidophile on Oct 12, 2020 10:26:55 GMT -5
Do the pumpkin at least, it can’t hurt. Also, chicken gizzards are excellent chew toys.
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 10:29:27 GMT -5
this might be dumb to ask - but is there any kind of specifics i need to look out for with the gizzards? also, is there any kind of prep that needs to go into them (wash, boil, etc.)?
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 13:16:47 GMT -5
also, what is the likelihood of chicken gizzards complicating a possible partial blockage (especially since she’s never had them before and is pretty much a baby at 14 weeks yesterday)? i am going to give the pumpkin first and monitor before anything else.
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Post by Corvidophile on Oct 12, 2020 14:22:52 GMT -5
Gizzards are good to go right out of the package. They won’t complicate a blockage as the stomach acid reduces them to sludge before they enter the intestines, which would ooze around a partial blockage and not move it much. The reason the pumpkin doesn’t turn into sludge is because of the fiber in it, which retains bulk and pushes small objects through the intestines when it encounters them.
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 15:22:32 GMT -5
i just gave my girl about 1/2 tsp of pumpkin. she actually ate it plain. 🤢 but hopefully all goes well with it. she’s sleeping right now, so it’s just a watch and wait situation for the orange poop.
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Post by unclejoe on Oct 12, 2020 18:34:23 GMT -5
As long as she's pooping, she should be ok. The orange is a good sign because obviously it's the pumpkin. Once you see that you should be good.
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 12, 2020 18:40:55 GMT -5
no orange yet, but big and normal looking poops.
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Post by unclejoe on Oct 13, 2020 15:12:46 GMT -5
how is she doing?
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Post by jinxed-it on Oct 13, 2020 16:06:49 GMT -5
better, i think. her poop is kind of back to being a little thinner than i’d like, but i am starting to think it might be some underlying thing. i just don’t know what to tell the vet (she has a scheduled appointment this saturday) to help in diagnosing it. everything else is fine, just weird and intermittently “bad” poop.
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