vomiting ferret that is otherwise happy

Question
QUESTION: Dear Emilee,
first of all, you and your fellow ferret experts are a great service - thanks for taking the time to answer questions from anxious ferret owners.

I asked a question about 6 weeks ago but have some new information and some new questions as well.

Info
Female 6 years old
Eats Totallyferret
Ferretlax and laxatone 1-2 times a week
Last poop looked normal
Lives in a condo cage with 7 year old male

6 weeks ago she was intermittently vomiting but she was otherwise healthy, had normal stool and urine, ate and drank normally, and was very active and playing.

I brought her to the vet and her vomiting spells has since increased in frequency to the point where she is vomiting almost every day. The vet said it was most likely Helicobacter but could also be a partial obstruction.

What is so baffling to me is that she eats and drinks normally and displays a great appetite. Whenever she eats dry food she chews the side of the bowl, but does not do this when she eats ducksoup.

She urinates and defecates normally and has been very active until recently which may be due to the fact that she has now lost weight and is very skinny. When she does keep her food down she is super energetic and runs around like a goof ball (we just played fetch the kong....)

I have been feeding her ducksoup to try and fatten her up, and I am also giving her bismuth subsalicylate to help cut down acid production in her belly. I will be picking up antibiotics for her later today that should take care of the Helicobacter.

I do recall her dropping a similar amount of weight last year, but she was not vomiting, and she put the weight back on. Could she still have a partial obstruction even though she poops normally and plays?

Her vomiting comes in spells. She eats pretty greedily, then gets all squinty eyed, and rubs her face against the carpet. Sometimes she lays upside down and looks lethargic. The vomit is a mix of foam (looks like human spit) and food particles. She vomits anywhere from right after eating to 45 minutes after. She often tries to eat the vomit. Sometimes during a vomit spell she will take a few steps that make her look like she is drunk, but this stops when she is done throwing up. As soon as she is done vomiting she is all normal and ready to play.

What are the risks involved in putting a ferret under - for the X-ray and possible surgery if she does have an obstruction? Especially when considering her age? If it is a partial obstruction, are there less intrusive options that I could try as well? Could there be something else going on besides Helicobacter or a partial obstruction that I should aware of?

Sofia



ANSWER: Hi Sofia,

Ferrets are programmed, from their time in the wild, to not show that they are sick until its too late because they don't want to show their predators that they might be vulnerable. Unfortunately for us ferret parents, that means that if we aren't paying close attention, life threatening illnesses can sneak up on us and become fatal. It is totally plausible that she might have a partial obstruction while acting totally and completely normal. Our kids have passed some pretty horrific things, all the while acting completely normal.

I am a bit concerned about the fact that her eyes are getting squinty now and then. This means that she is feeling pain and rubbing her face on the floor could signify a tummy ache which could be the heliobacter, but it could also mean a partial bowel obstruction. Chewing the side of the bowl could also show pain in the stomach area, although both our boys do that and they've both been checked. I think they just like grinding their teeth because they know it gets on mommy's nerves! Haha.

As with human anasthesia, there are risks to her going under, but in a normal, healthy ferret, the risks should be minimal. I'm not totally positive so that is something that you want to discuss with your vet. Given that she is a healthy ferret with no other known health problems or compromises, I would say that the risk is minimal. Again, please discuss any concerns with your vet because they would know way more about it than I would.

There are less intrusive options to use for an obstruction, and I'm surprised that your vet hasn't gone over them with you. If the blockage isn't to the point where its life threatening, then your vet might prescribe a laxative to see if the blockage can be passed that way. That is a possibility, but again, you'll want to discuss that with your vet as I'm sure they can tell you more about what the best course of action is than I can.

For the future, you should be giving a laxative of some kind so this doesn't happen again, especially during shedding season as hairballs can pose a serious problem. Although, you did mention that you are giving those on a regular basis and this situation still arose. You might try something called Vetasyl.

Vetasyl is the pet equivalent to Metamucil and it is a psyllium powder. It will bulk up her poop and hopefully that will catch whatever could be blocking the tract. With the Vetasyl treatment, though, you need to remember that it could actually cause a blockage so if you are feeling hesitant about it, then definitely don't do it! You should discuss this treatment with your vet before, as I'm a little concerned. I'm concerned because, if you're under the impression that you need to have surgery and the vet is giving you that impression, then the blockage might be far more serious than I realize. Please talk to your vet before going ahead with this in this case, because like I said, this could cause a blockage and make the existing problem even worse. For the future, this procedure might be something you want to keep handy, but in this case, please discuss it with your vet.  

With the Vetasyl treatment, you should give it to her at least three days in a row (just once a day). You should take 8 ounces of water and mix in about a teaspoon of Uncle Jim's Duck Soup (http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyid=10504&Ntt=Duck%20SOup&OneResultR). You should mix enough water in to make it the consistency of a pretty thin gravy. After you mix that in, you should heat the mixture up just until it is a little warm (not too hot) and then you should mix in the Vetasyl (*****just ONE capsule and don't put the actual capsule in: break the capsule open and pour the powder in and then discard the capsule*****!). There are two important things to remember with this treatment : one is that you need to make sure she drinks as much as she can and two : (and this is the most important!!!) she needs to have A LOT of water (which is why the "mixture" should be a thin gravy sort of consistency). She needs to be drinking a lot of water during this treatment because if she doesn't, that bulk forming laxative will cause a blockage in her system. You want to give the treatment every day for at least three days and if her poops aren't bigger or at least back to the size they normally are, you should either continue with the treatment or you should see a vet. With this, you should be watching her poops because you may see some pretty amazing things come out. When she uses the bathroom, you should pick it up and put it in a plastic bag with water in it and squish away. I know, that sounds utterly disgusting, but you want to make sure that the treatment is doing its job if there is a blockage there. Also, when you are giving the mixture, make sure that you keep stirring it because if you don't, the bulk of the Vetasyl could sink to the bottom and it would be useless. Also, something else to remember with this treatment: only give it if you are going to be around your ferret for the next few days that you give the treatment just in case it does cause a blockage and she needs to be taken to the vet. Otherwise, I wouldn't suggest this treatment for you. This can be given once monthly during non-shedding season and twice or three times monthly during shedding season.

I hope this helps and if you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Good luck,
Emilee Andrews



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


Ferret with her food   QUESTION: Emilee,
thanks! I am a fairly new ferret owner, and I don't think that I had quite realized what a capability they have for hiding their illness.

The vet was suspecting Helicobacter much more than a partial obstruction. She has been on enrofloxacin and bismuth subsalicylate (PeptoBismol) for a couple of days now and although I think it is too early to say, she is already more energetic and active.

I have been feeding her ducksoup 3-4 times a day since Saturday and have already noticed a slight weight gain. Based on your feedback, I have decided to order Vetasyl, administer it, and check her closely, once she has been on the antibiotics for at least a week.

I feel that it is difficult to make a decision on how to proceed with your pets since I try to consider all the "what if's" and possible outcomes of each procedure or action, especially since both my guys are older.

So it helps a great deal to have this site to consult and experts such as yourself to ask. Thanks!


Answer
Hi again Sofia,

You are so welcome! I am so glad that I could help you. It is so hard to care for pets sometimes, especially as they age. That is extremely difficult to watch.

If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask! That is why we're all here! Please keep me updated on the situation!

SIncerely,
Emilee Andrews