POSSIBLE EMERGENCY SITUATION

Question
I found a sock in my ferrets cage, i didnt think it was a big deal, but now he goes to the bathroom blood is coming out. Also his butt area is all piffed out red. what does this mean, what should i do?

Answer
Hi Julie,

Was the sock chewed up or anything? Or was it totally whole and untouched? If it is untouched and not chewed up, then this problem probably has nothing to do with the sock. How old is your ferret? Have you ever noticed him eating fabric before? If he did ingest some of the sock, then that could mean he has an intestinal blockage.

If his rectum is prolapsed, which it could be, given that his heinie is all puffed up, that is another problem.

In any case, is the blood bright red or is it dull, more black than red? What kind of food do you have him on? Have you ever noticed his poop having streaks of red in it? It could be food coloring from his food, but I seriously doubt that. I REALLY think that you should get that ferret to an emergency vet tonight, or if you absolutely can't, you need to call an exotics vet tomorrow, tell them the problem, and see if they can fit you in. That ferret needs to be seen by a vet RIGHT AWAY! In the mean time, make sure he is still drinking, at least. Is he still eating and drinking on his own? If you can't get him to the vet tonight, the best you can do is make sure that he stays hydrated. If he is still eating and drinking on his own, that is great. If not, how long has it been since he's eaten? If he isn't eating on his own, you are going to have to encourage him to eat. You should get some meat baby food (and I mean ALL MEAT baby food - no rice or veggies or anything in it - just meat) and maybe water it down a little and warm it up (but make sure it isn't too hot) and see if he eats that. Dip your (clean) finger into the baby food and see if he will lick it off your finger. If not, try putting some on his lips or on his tongue. (NOTE: NEVER try and make an unconscious or incapacitated ferret eat or drink because that ferret could choke on anything you give him). Also, you could try dribbling a little Ferretone on the top of the baby food to see if that entices him to eat. You could try the same thing with water. If that doesn't work, you should at least give him water by syringe. Just a little bit at a time, *SLOWLY* dribbled in to the side of his mouth. If he isn't eating, you should try the same thing with the baby food, but fluids are his top priority right now.

Here are some good links that hopefully will help you find a ferret vet in your area:



VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm   (British Columbia)
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/sask_ferrets/

VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

VETS  UK & IRELAND:  
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/vetlist.htm

VET INFO/ LIST OF FERRET GROUPS/ CONTACTS IN UK, ITALY, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY & DENMARK:       
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-overseas.html (scroll down page to find the one you are looking for).

I really strongly suggest that your little boy be seen by a vet ASAP. I really think he should see an emergency vet TONIGHT and at the latest, tomorrow morning. Please get him to a vet!

Please let me know how he does and keep me updated. I hope you have this problem addressed ***as soon as possible***!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews