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Post by trippyferret on Apr 12, 2011 21:46:48 GMT -5
I did what you said, and Penny still had to be spoon fed; she was being such a bad weasel! lol! But tonight she didn't need my assistance and ate everything, chunks and all. So I'm going to move more slowly with her. I was overconfident and increasing the chunk size too much. Salem seems to be doing better too. She ate most of her soup on her own this evening, with a few teeny chunks thrown in (and I mean TEENY). Now for the bad news. I'm about 90% positive Salem has lymphoma. It all makes sense, her appetite has not been the greatest, she's been overly picky when she was doing so well, she's been having ibd symptoms, possibly an enlarged spleen, and last night I discovered what I believe is an enlarged lymph node under her skin close to her shoulder. She also is licking it a lot. I'm hoping that I can take her in in about a week or so. It's been difficult with my school schedule lately.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2011 20:16:57 GMT -5
Oh gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that. You and Salem will be in my thoughts.
As for Pen - that's great, then, that she's getting back on track. You're amazingly patient with these guys and that WILL pay off!
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 13, 2011 21:23:01 GMT -5
Just as soon as Salem got back on the wagon, she fell off again. It got to the point where I had to scruff and stuff her. I hated doing it, but I knew she had to eat. I'm thinking this is definitely lymphoma-related, especially because it seems to be sporadic. I tell you what though, it's gonna be one h*ll of an accomplishment once these 5 ferts are fully raw! I'm not sure if Salem will get to that point, but at least the others will.
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 14, 2011 13:56:17 GMT -5
I've been thinking about it and I'm not going to bother with the chunks in Salem's soups right now, it just makes it harder to get her to eat and I don't really want to work on it until she is being treated. The main thing with her right now is just to get her to eat the soup, period. If she is on soup the rest of her life, I'm ok with that. As long as I don't have to go back to kibble! But Penny is doing really good! She eats her soups and the chunks in it with gusto, AND I have caught her nomming on the big kids' chicken! I'm not sure if she was eating the wing or the neck(they had both that day), because when I opened the feeding den to see what she was eating she decided she was done with whatever it was. lol!
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 16, 2011 16:59:56 GMT -5
If all goes as planned, Salem is going to have a vet appointment on Wednesday. If she does indeed have lymphoma, we're probably going to put her on prednisone. Once she starts getting treated we will see how her appetite does, and if we want to proceed with switching her. If not, we'll just keep her on the soups. Penny's doing great though. Yesterday she was eating the h*ll out of some chicken wing! I mean, really going at it vigorously. She seems to love it!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 19:42:44 GMT -5
You're right - at this point, there's no point in making it hard on Salem, and the soup is complete, nutrition wise, so there's no worry there. I'll be thinking of you and her, and sending all my best wishes GO PEN! That's what I wanted to hear - I love it when a fert all of a sudden clicks with the raw diet. It's an amazing and gratifying thing! It'll be great once everyone has switched! You'll deserve some R&R after that! (also, I'm sorry about the delay - I've been swamped these last few days and have hadn't slept for two of them, so I kinda crashed this morning!)
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 16, 2011 20:21:50 GMT -5
I understand, I have also been swamped. School just started back up and I am getting a lot more homework this quarter than the last. We're getting close, I know! Gwen's getting better, she eats most boneless meals that I've blended up but they are full of chunks. I'm hoping something clicks with her soon to try some of the big kids chunks. Penny loves chicken! If I hold if out for her, she latches on and will not let go! So I just hold the chicken with her dangling from it, open the feeding den with my free hand, and plop her and her chicken inside. And also, regarding Salem, even if I don't get her on a fully raw diet, at least she will be on raw soups, and even that is a better alternative to kibble. Plus, even though she's sick, her body is still quite healthy from the raw. She still looks good, has a nice weight and everything.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2011 17:59:35 GMT -5
I'm glad - and the raw will also do best at keeping Salem nice and hydrated, as well, which is important.
I'm happy Pen's still doing well with the chicken! Is she still progressing with bone (and is Gwen still trying chicken/gamehen bone or is she off?)
I take it Bomber and Evie are still the happy, raw-eating pros?
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 18, 2011 22:17:20 GMT -5
Gwen does just fine with any bone-in meal except for pork tails or rib tips. But I haven't been feeding those in a while, and they're kinda dense for my guys, so I've been feeding other random things like rabbit and quail. I'm thinking about getting them some frog legs and see what they think. Bomber and Evie are having no problems at all. Still doing just fine. I think the only thing they don't care for is chicken backs. Penny definitely eats the bone, she DEVOURS that crap. That is, when she wants to. Sometimes she doesn't. I think she's pulling the same stunt Gwen did. Maybe I will skip some of her meals when the big kids are having chicken and see how she does. Then try other things. She's spitting out her chunks again, which is annoying, but if she's left with no choice maybe she will eat what the big kids are having. I think she would do it if she got hungry enough.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2011 21:09:21 GMT -5
If she's a healthy girl, go ahead and skip a meal (just out of curiosity, what meat are you using as chunks?). It might be she's being picky, or she's just not hungry. Well, it sounds like Gwen is doing great, though, with the bone! The ribtips and tail issues aren't surprising, especially in ferrets that aren't diehard bone crunchers (which most aren't), but they are good for exercise and variety
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 22, 2011 9:26:10 GMT -5
Just a quick update, not much time to make a full one, but just letting you know Salem's vet appointment is at 3 today; I hope we can get to the bottom of this!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2011 10:35:35 GMT -5
Good luck, hopefully you'll get some answers!
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 25, 2011 19:24:27 GMT -5
Omg! I've been so focused on other threads, I have neglected this one! I'm so sorry! So much going on lately. If you hadn't seen, Salem was diagnosed with lymphoma. holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=vetting&action=display&thread=1458&page=1I've also been in the progress of quitting smoking! I am on my 6th day of wearing the patch, haven't smoked a single cig and not looking back. So as you can imagine, sick pet + no cigs= one stressed ferret mama. I'm doing better and better though every day! Other than the lack of sleep. It sucks. But anyways, Salem seems like she might be getting her appetite back (we started her pred Friday night); today she actually licked all her salmon oil instead of taking one lick and walking away, which was totally unlike her. She is eating better, I think, but I still have to spoon feed her some of the soups. Pen's about the same, spitting out chunks and being a brat. I did forget to mention, they are chicken chunks. I'm thinking about taking away the soups cold turkey on the days when they get chicken, so at least I can get her on some bone. I know she will eat it if she's left with nothing else.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2011 19:50:05 GMT -5
I didn't see that thread - I'm so sorry, but at least we have a diagnosis and you can make her comfortable now! I feel you with the quitting smoking - I quit cold turkey almost two years ago now. It's ... rough, but I am so happy with the decision I made (and stuck to!) I'll be over here cheering you on, girl! *\o/* As for Pen, feel free to try that. It's been my experience with soups that it can have a tendency to prolong the switch (that's just me, though, others have great success in implementing it) - that's why I don't use that method with my ferts
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Post by trippyferret on Apr 27, 2011 21:06:22 GMT -5
Well, I do have some good news tonight. Salem's appetite seems to be back to normal, she's eating on her own now and I'm very happy about that. Her poos still haven't improved though. :/ The other good news is Gwen is eating hearts and gizzards now! So she is eating pretty much a complete diet now. She gets her organs pureed but every thing else she eats whole. Just need to get her eating pork, goat, and beef. Tomorrow morning is chicken wings, so I will keep Pen off the soup. I'll try and catch if she's eating it, but I've got class all day, so I'll check as often as I can. I'm pretty sure she will, seeing as she tore into one not long ago.
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