pls answer urgently

Question
QUESTION: my ferret(she is not an indoor cat) is young about 2-3 months and is not eating well somehow she is taking only little amount of milk and water.she is pooing very small amount of black poo.she had a fight with a big ferret some days before.I have taken her to vet he has given him some antibiotics (injection),rabies and liver tonic (liverolin) she sometimes purrs and shakes her head in very slow movements. Also she grinded her teeth but only one time up til now. she has become quite lethargic.she is having low temperature about 98.5. We also gave her fish and eggs but she didn't ate it. please reply as soon as you can.

ANSWER: Hello Divanshu,

This is a very dire situation.  The black stool means there is bleeding in her upper GI tract and the color you see is due to digested blood.  The fact that she is lethargic and not eating is not good at all.  Ferrets decline very rapidly without nutrition.  Also, tooth grinding is a sign of pain, and a normal temperature for a ferret is 101-103 degrees meaning she is both in pain and hypothermic.  

This is something that needs veterinary attention ASAP since your ferret is very sick. She will need to be stabilized by your vet and \have further diagnostic tests to find out exactly what is the problem.  Since ferrets decline very quickly and the weekend is fast approaching, have her seen NOW.  She will only get worse as time passes and I fear it may be very difficult to have her seen at all if you wait.  

Best of luck, and please have her seen ASAP.  This is a situation of life or death for your girl and she needs to see a vet NOW.  

-Cindy P.  

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello Cindy .
my vet as I told you i have seen her to a vet and he gave him antibiotics (injection),rabies injection and liver tonic (liverolin).please tell me that if there is a blockage what could be done as the surgery is quite risky.

Answer
Hello again,

When you first went to your vet, was your ferret presenting with these problems at the time, or did they occur after your visit?  If they arose afterward, the doctor had no way to take them into consideration.  Even if he did know about these symptoms, she is not responding to the treatment.  Sheneeds further medical attention ASAP since she is becoming worse.  Lethargy, anorexia and dark stool are all signs that something is very much wrong.  She needs prompt care, IV fluids, medication, and likely diagnostic tests to determine the cause and treat it accordingly.  

It does not sound like an obstruction since she does produce some stool.  Animals with obstructions have tender abdomens, vomit profusely and have explosive diarrhea.  There is a possibility of gastric ulcers.  This causes blood to leak into the GI tract, causing digested blood to appear in the stool giving it the dark tarry color.  It is very painful and causes them to grind their teeth.  Anorexia can be a symptom, and if she is not eating, she would produce small amounts of stool and be lethargic. She can also become extremely anemic from the blood loss though the GI, which can be life-threatening.  Treatment requires stomach protectants and a heavy round of a specific antibiotic. If I had to guess, I would say this is a much more likely cause than an obstruction.   

If she is still not eating, lethargic and producing small amounts of a dark stool she needs to be seen again ASAP.  She needs diagnostic tests, such as x-rays and bloodwork to help figure out the underlying problem.  If it is ulcers, they can be treated but she needs to be brought in ASAP.  Remember, a ferret that does not eat declines rapidly.  She will become too weak to respond to treatment, which is why it is very important to have her seen as soon as possible.

Best of luck, and please keep me posted as to her progress.

-Cindy P.