Funny breathing

Question
QUESTION: Hello Jacquie,
 I first have to say that my little boy (Guiseppi- about 2.5 years old) saw a vet this morning. But the Vet couldnt find anything wrong with him.
My concern is he seems to struggle to breath every so often. Like he gasps for air 3 or 4 times then goes on about his business. He is eating, drinking and playing like normal.
This has gone on for about 4 days now. At first we thought it was a hair ball. So for 2 days we gave him ferret lax, which didnt help. Just in case, we gave him Pedialite too. But his nose isnt runny, his eyes aren't watery, the vet said there is no fluid in his lungs, he weighs 2.10 lbs, his teeth and gums are normal, and his temp is average.
I'm in CA, so im not sure how knowledgeable the vet is on ferrets, but i do know they treat them often enough.
Is there something serious going on? Should I be worried?

ANSWER: Hi Roxanna:

You didn't say how long you've had Guiseppe...I will assume you've had him long enough to know that ferrets to have a way of gasping/panting when they are playing - sort of a way of asking you to come and play with them. That is a very normal ferret behavior - just in case you are new to ferret ownership and are not familiar with that. It would appear to be a panting type action.

The fact that your ferret doesn't have a fever is good. Usually they will run a fever if they aren't feeling well. You mentioned you gave him Pedialyte  - that is used for dehydration; such as if he had a fever and/or had been vomiting or having diarrhea and he was dehydrated. You can always check for this by pinching up the skin on the back of his neck and if the skin stays up when you let go, he is dehydrated. The only problem is that once a ferret is that dehydrated, they usually need to go to a ferret vet to get fluids given to them under the skin in a sterile setting. - just for future information.

Ferrets can have a little cough, dry gaggy sound when they have a furball in their throat. The lax  (assuming you gave enough) should have helped that at least for a short time. If he really has a furball that is large enough to be a problem to be causing a blockage, he would not be eating as he normally does and he may be pooping scant or really skinny looking poops. In this case, you would be much better to give him the Uncle Jim's (or Hill's A/D you can get at your vet's office) and Vetasyl (like Metamucil except for pets) to help move the furball out. Here is my story about how to use Vetasyl properly. From the information you've given, the only thing I could suspect *might* be a partial obstruction that you would be wise to treat (even if there is no obstruction, there is no harm in treating it - it will help clean him out, which is always healthy for a ferret):


My best gut feeling is always to treat for obstruction since the treatment is so easy and so very effective.  I don't trust the goopy petroleum-based cat hairball laxatives in the tubes; I've never in all my ferret-owning years seen even one of my kids pass a hairball after being given even huge doses of that stuff!  I treated them faithfully every single weekend for years and yet had a ferret with a hairball (he groomed himself a lot) who ended up with a hairball - AND, then while he was recovering and I was trying to figure out how he got a hairball while I had been giving the petroleum-based goopy gunk religiously, I discovered Vetasyl and mixed it with Uncle Jim's Duk Soup Mix (recipe and instructions to follow) and here we were about one month after surgery and he passed another HUGE hairball about the size and shape of my little finger - AND it had a bunch of green pus (I know, waaaay too much information LOL, but we have to know to watch for these things) on one end of it, meaning it was in the process of becoming very very infected. BAD news for my ferret - but this Vetasyl alnd Uncle Jim's mix saved his life - literally.

So, now I give him Vetasyl and Uncle Jim's every week come rain or shine; when he's shedding or I think he may have gotten ahold of anything he shouldn't have, he gets a 3-day or 5-day treatment to be SURE whatever it is passes through quickly and harmlessly.  I believe every ferret owner should keep this stuff on hand and use it at least weekly.  Even tho their ferret may not LOVE it the first time they eat it - ferrets rarely love anything the first time they are introduced to it. We have to keep letting them taste it - sometimes several times a day, until they get used to the new flavor. My large male ferret BEGS for his 'soup' and will sit and watch while I prepare it and slurp down every drop of it just as often as I will make it for him - that's the goal we hope to get every ferret to love it that much! The trick is to start them slow, let them lick it from your fingers at first until they get used to it; then maybe a spoon. Be ready to have some spit out - have paper towels ready. That's not unusual.  Within a week or two, I promise, your ferret WILL adapt and love their 'soup'.   The BONUS is that when your ferret is sick, Uncle Jim's can also be made without the Vetasyl and given to a ferret to either help get fluids down a ferret who needs extra fluids, or mix it a bit thicker for a ferret who isn't eating his kibble well and needs to get some nutrition down.

WHERE TO GET VETASYL AND UNCLE JIM'S (check here for best prices):

VETASYL:   http://www1.shopping.com/xFS?KW=vetasyl&CLT=SCH

UNCLE JIM'S DUK SOUP MIX: http://www1.shopping.com/xFS?KW=Uncle+Jim%27s+Duk+Soup+Mix&CLT=SCH

WHAT DO I DO WITH IT WHEN IT GETS HERE?

BEFORE STARTING, mix the "soup":
Use the CONTENTS OF ONE VETASYL CAPSULE (toss the cap itself away) blended into 6-OZ OF VERY WARM WATER and TWO LEVEL TEASPOONS of Uncle Jim's Duk Soup Mix.  Make sure the mixture is WARM when you feed it to your ferret.  

PREPARE THE AREA (this is just for the first few times to introduce them to it):
Have a couple paper towels (for any food that is spit or spilled); a spoon, the warm "soup", a really good attitude, quiet unrushed atmosphere, and A WARM WET WASHCLOTH.

SIT IN A COMFORTABLE, RELAXING ATMOSPHERE, HOLDING THE FERRET ON YOUR LAP:
Talk to him for a minute, reassure him it's okay. Look at the ferret in the eyes, stroke his face. Gently but firmly SCRUFF the ferret firmly just below the ears with your left hand let his back feet rest on your lap. Use your right hand to gently wipe his face with the WARM washcloth, working from his nose back to his ears, all the while talking to him, working your way all the way around his little face and neck.  This is all done in a gentle, loving way, soft tone of voice, even sing a lullabye if you wish.  This activity helps relax the ferret lets him know you want to (scruff) be in charge; and (warm washcloth gently stroking facial fur back - grooming) helps him become submissive.

Next, (you will need to re-grasp your scruff from time to time until he gets used to this enough that he will eat it on his own, but for now, continue to scruff him) dip your finger into the "soup" (be sure it's still warm) and touch it to your ferret's mouth (be ready for him/her to  spit - have a paper towel handy).  (**IMPORTANT NOTE:  BE SURE you are holding the ferret UPRIGHT, not laying him backwards like a baby; he will choke - keep his SPINE UPRIGHT and you will do just fine.)  Try again however many times necessary. Each time, take the opportunity to stir the mixture with the finger you are dipping into the mixture.  Continue until the ferret gets a good taste of it several times. Best way is to put a little bit behind the canines (the long teeth) with your fingers so they HAVE to taste it. Usually once they taste it, they will be surprised that they actually like it! :-)  DON'T RUSH THE FERRET - this should be a relaxing time. Once they get a good taste, they will lap it up willingly and it will take very very little time to do this.  You want the ferret to eat as much of the 'soup' as possible - ALL OF IT if it will (my large male ferret will eat nearly a whole six ounces by himself!)  It's just the initial introduction that you have to go thru all this ceremony. My ferrets - I just mix a bowl and put it on the floor and they come running and empty the bowl. :-)   

This IS a product that 99.99999% of ferrets love, so please don't give up - keep offering it; keep the atmosphere light, sing to your ferret; make this a happy time, not a tense time and that will help. Your ferret will enjoy this time if you make it a routine by doing it the same way each time.   WHEN FINISHED - ALWAYS 'RE-SCRUFF', WIPE YOUR FERRETS FACE WITH A WARM, WET WASHCLOTH, STROKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE MOUTH BACK BEYOND THE EARS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE FACE AND NECK.  Again, grooming behaviors that reinforce the message to your ferret "I love you - I am taking care of you".  I think ferrets who get this kind of care really are more mellow and more anxious to please their owners. I do things like this with my own ferrets and don't think to share them, but am going to try to be better about sharing *all* the things we do here at our house that makes it an especially ferret-friendly place to be.

         * * * * * *
****ONLY ONE URGENT CAUTION***   You MUST use PLENTY OF WATER when you mix this! STIR WELL - you can even pause while the ferret is eating and stir it again, as the part that expands and does the work does tend to settle in the bottom of the bowl; but you MUST NOT use less water - If you use less water, YOU CAN CAUSE A BLOCKAGE WITH THIS MIXTURE IF USED IMPROPERLY. The product is psyllium and barley (like Metamucil for people) and it expands after ingested, so it NEEDS the water to expand AND to keep it moving along through the
intestinal tract.  DO NOT USE THE DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL FOR DOGS & CATS (says to just 'sprinkle it on their food' (that would KILL a ferret!) - using this products for ferrets is considered and "off label use", which means you must use it differently for that animal. Ferrets MUST have LOTS of additional water for this product to work as we are using it.
         * * * * *  *
 
    REPEAT TREATMENT A MINIMUM OF ONCE A DAY
         FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW
         for the initial treatment.

Do watch your ferrets stools while he/she is taking this medication. KEEP anything that is passed in the poop during this time. IF it is part of something, of course you want to be looking for the missing part, to see if it passes also. Check around the house, in his toys, bedding, cage, etc. If you cannot find any missing parts, you must *assume* that he has also swallowed that part, so continue to give the Mixture and watch for that part to be expelled in the stool also.

AFTER the three days of taking the soup every night, you must continue to give the "soup" every night until *no* hair pieces, *no* toy parts, nothing strange comes out in your ferret's poop - then you know your ferret's intestinal tract is clean. For some ferrets, three days is enough, some need four or five or even seven days until everything is out of them!  You must examine your ferret's poops so know when to stop.

EXAMINING THE POOPS:
Place fresh poops on several layers of folded over paper towels and spread poop out with popsicle stick or something similar.  Spread it thin so you can see if there is a little ball of fur, any small fur ball or toy.  It's not unusual to not see anything the first day; sometimes not even the second day, but by the third day, almost everyone sees SOMETHING - I've had some wild reports of interesting things people have found too!  So, please DO check so you know what your ferret is getting into - so you can RE-ferretproof your house AND be sure these items are out of your ferret's reach in the future.  Also, you will know for sure when it is safe to stop your ferret's "soup" treatment.

AFTER THE INITIAL TREATMENT:
I give a 3-day treatment every other weekend to my ferret.  He grooms himself a lot and he has a history of one surgery for hairball removal, which means he has some scar tissue inside his intestines that will especially grab any fur passing through his intestines and be even more likely to get another hairball.  Most "normal" people can probably treat a healthy ferret with ONE 3-DAY TREATMENT ONCE A MONTH - but do watch to see if they are passing anything in the treatments and if they are, extend the treatments to 4 or 5 days if necessary.

DURING SHEDDING TIME:
I give the treatment DAILY during shedding time.  I also "pluck" my ferrets (that's a whole 'nuther story) to remove loose fur, but anybody whose ferret is shedding should be giving them the soup DAILY until they are SURE the shedding is over.

THE PROOF IS IN THE.......er, POOPS!
You will KNOW your ferret has healthy intestines because your ferret will poop big fat poops like he/she did when they were just a kit. Most older ferrets poop small poops because almost every ferret has at least a partial blockage - it's NOT necessary - there IS a cure and it does NOT involve surgery!  A ferret with a clean intestinal tract is a LOT happier, energetic and just all over in better health than one that is getting either no hairball treatment or a petroleum-based goopy laxative, even if they get it on a daily basis - those are SO messy; and they just do NOT work!
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Hope that helps you and your little one. I don't see anything else in the symptoms you describe that sound like anything you should be worried about, but it would be an excellent idea to get the products and have them on hand so you can treat him regularly to be SURE he doesn't get a blockage in the future - that's what kills more ferrets than any other illness or disease. Keep him on a schedule for blockage treatment and he should stay healthy overall (that and always always always *FERRETPROOF* anyplace your ferret plays - that's another way your ferret can get a blockage that can sneak up and take him from you quickly. Remember, even a small pencil eraser, piece of gum or piece of insole of a shoe (or ANY rubber or foam or styrofoam of any kind) can kill him in just 24 hours! Better safe than sorry - always keep these things out of your ferret's reach.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers




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

QUESTION: Hi Again,
I've owned him since he was a kit. I actually found the ferret lax to work, he usually get some when he has a hair ball and poops it right out. I gave him duck soup for 3 days or so, but since he is eating and his poop is completely normal i know he is getting the nutrients he needs.  The pant is more a struggle for air for 2 or 3 seconds. Its like a gasp, he'll stop doing what he's doing to catch his breath. It sounds more of a respiratory problem than a hairball... the vet couldn't find fluid in his lungs though. And his Poop is normal. So i don't know what to make of it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply with such a through message!
Best,
Roxanna

Answer
Hi again Roxanna:

Hopefully this will help:  You can check his gums anytime you feel he's not getting enough oxygen - if he's really not getting enough oxygen, they will turn a grayish-blue color, as will his lips and even the pads on his feet. This is an indication on any animal (or human) that there is a lack of oxygen in the blood that needs attention.  IF you don't see bluish coloring, consider that your confirmation that he really IS getting enough O2 and there isn't any physical problem that needs addressed. That's one test that will never fail you...and after a while you will quickly get used to what is 'normal' for lip, tongue and gum color. If you do start seeing a grayish blue color, that IS something very very serious that will need immediate vet care and supplemental oxygen - get him to a vet or vet hospital ASAP, even if they aren't specialists, they can help stabilize him and keep that O2 level up until a proper vet can be contacted. Any time there is lack of oxygen, there are brain cells dying, so this IS something to be concerned about and to KNOW for SURE what to watch for.

You're a good mom and a very observant one - a necessity for a ferret who intends to have a long life :-)   Keep up the good work.  Hope that gives you some additional peace of mind!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers