8 yr. old ferret, A/D prescription diet & runny stools

Question
Hello there Jacquie.  I have written to you in the past about my little guy, but now I need more guidance from you.

I don't know if you remember, but my last letter had to do with my baby having something in his throat and not being able to eat his regular food.  You recommended putting him on  prescription Science Diet A/D canned food vs baby food.  Your advice has worked great for the past year-- except for the extremely runny stools.  
I spoke to the Vet and she said the only thing she could think of trying was to give him pumpkin to possibly produce firmer stools. (It helps cats and dogs).  My baby likes it, but his stools are still extremely runny. And on top of that, he doesn't even try to use the litter box.  He gets up, eats his food and then just goes anywhere,anytime. It has become very irritating. Do you know of anything to help with his runny bowels?

Also, I know with his age that he would sleep most of the day.  He doesn't want to play, just eat, maybe some cuddling and sleep. If I try to play, he just crawls into one of his favorite sleeping places. Is this normal for a ferret his age (8 years old) to sleep 20+ hours a day?  If you need more information about my situation, please let me know. I would hate it if my baby suffered from anything if I or the Vet missed something.
Thank you for all your help.   Sincerely- T.

Answer
Hi T:

Bless your heart.  I just had to have my oldest ferret put down and he had irritable bowel syndrome for the past 3-4 years and his diarrhea just got so bad (and SO stinky!!) that we had no option than to put him to sleep.

I can walk you through what we went through before we gave up and perhaps that will help you. First start with a stool specimen to the vet to check for parasites, bacterial infection or other problems. As soon as that is given, the diarrhea itself can be treated with (let your vet decide) reglan (slows bowel), antibiotics (for infection) or prednisone (for inflamation).

The A/D itself will cause diarrhea. If you can, get him back onto his old food. That's one problem with being on A/D for a long time. If he doesn't want to change, try grinding up his old food and wetting it down to A/D consistency, maybe even mixing it 1/2 A/D and 1/2 the old food to help him switch back, then keep putting in less A/D and more ground up old brand till he can change to the old formula dry food.  While doing this, keep a close eye on his level of dehydration, as he was getting a lot of fluids in the A/D and water mixture (but losing a lot in the diarrhea too, so watch as it changes to be sure he stays hydrated). Check this by pinching up the fur on the back of his neck and if it stays up, he is dehydrated. He may even need to be rehydrated at the vet's office with IV's even twice a day if necessary. That can kill him FAST, so keep a check frequently on it.

A good physical exam is really important. I had been treating my little guy for adrenal disease with Lupron after a surgery that had failed to remove the entire tumor. Over time the tumor had regrown, apparently, and had infiltrated his pancreas, which is what took him in the end. In the end, he ate dry food, but it came out water; and, as you say, just like water and everywhere. He just had no control. He didn't seem to be in pain until the last night when he was grinding his teeth in the night and I knew he was in pain. The next morning I took him to the vet to be put down. It was hard, but easier than watching him suffer. He was also almost 8 years old. That's really just about considered a long life for a ferret. I've heard of a few 10 year olds and a 12 year old, but that's not the norm.

I hope that gives you some ideas and at least helps you know that you are not alone in the difficult decisions you have to make that face you. I can tell you that when I came home with his little body wrapped in the blanket, even more than sadness, I felt relief that he was out of his misery and that I knew he wouldn't suffer anymore. I have waited too long before in making "the decision" and was sorry later. My theory now is "when in doubt, put them down too soon rather than too late (especially when over age 7).

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your little one. Hope this will help you when the time comes - it sure helped me:  http://www.petloss.com      and also http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng

Don't hesitate to write again if I can be of any help at all.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers