Ferret Ate Rubber Toy!

Question
Hi. I have a ferret who has apprently gotten ahold of a big rubber ball with rubber "wiggly spikes" and eaten a lot of the rubber spikes. We discovered that because when she pooped today the wiggly spikes came out with it!! and when we found the ball we saw that MANY of the wiggly spikes are missing. If they are coming out does that mean she will be ok or is it possible that this could be a huge problem? She isnt vomiting but i am very worried about her. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Marissa:

Yes, I know the toys you are talking about - it's a ferret's dream! LOL  Unfortunately, they are also a ferret vet's nightmare! (I watched vets at Alameda East remove one from a dog's stomach one day in an emergency surgery!) They absolutely WILL cause intestinal blockage.  The important thing is that you do know that she ate them (often ferrets get ahold of things and people don't even know they have gotten ahold of something!) and you can probably sit down and figure out *about* how many little spindly rubbery thingy are missing - and I definitely recommend that you SAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF THE TOY...so you can compare what you (hopefully) can recover to what is missing. That will be a very important part of this puzzle later.

As long as your ferret is still eating, drinking and pooping....you *can* treat her at home if you choose to.  IF SHE STOPS EATING, DRINKING, POOPING and/or STARTS VOMITING, YOU MUST GET HER TO A VET - IT WILL THEN BECOME A LIFE-AND-DEATH EMERGENCY. That being said, the best thing we can do *at home* is attempt to get her to pass the rubbery pieces. *IF* the pieces are small enough, they will pass. If not, they will need to be removed surgically.  

My NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION IS that you take her to a ferret vet and have a barium xray taken to see where the pieces are and how much of the bowel is blocked.  The vet can either give the ferret laxatives to attempt to move the blockage along (IF it's a PARTIAL BLOCKAGE) or he will open the ferret and surgically remove it (if it's a FULL BLOCKAGE and considered life-threatening).  If you really want to be cautious, the best thing you can do is take your ferret to a vet for a barium xray as soon as possible. Take the toy with you and show the vet what the ferret swallowed. The vet will then likely give the ferret a small amount of barium probably in a little Hill's A/D or similar food; then x-ray every few minutes as the barium and food move thru the ferret's digestive tract. This will show the vet exactly what is going on inside of the ferret. The situation likely won't become *emergency* because your vet can monitor and take her to surgery if she appears to be blocked.

IF YOU CANNOT TAKE THE FERRET TO THE VET OR WISH TO *TRY* AT HOME:  The next best recommendation I would have is to give the ferret the contents of ONE VETASYL CAPSULE (throw the capsule itself away), two level teaspooons of Uncle Jim's Duk Soup Mix and 6-oz of very warm water - stir well to blend. Get the ferret to drink AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE - TRY TO GET THE FERRET TO DRINK IT *ALL* IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

......OR YOU MAY SUBSTITUTE 1/2-TEASPOONFUL (MEASURE IT) OF SUGAR-FREE FRUIT-FLAVORED METAMUCIL instead of Vetasyl AND 1/2 JAR OF TURKEY OR CHICKEN BABY FOOD *MEAT ONLY* TO FLAVOR 6-0z OF WATER INSTEAD OF UNCLE JIM'S DUK SOUP MIX.

It is imperative that your ferret drink all six ounces of liquid as much at one time as possible.  Keep trying to get her to drink it. Some tricks to get her to drink it are to dribble a few drops of Ferretone on the surface of it (she will try to lick the Ferretone that she smells), OR (if you think she will be more likely to eat something baby food turkey or baby food chicken MEAT-ONLY...use that to flavor the water.  Just be sure that whatever you flavor the water with is ONLY used to flavor it. ALL of the water will be needed to be absorbed by the Metamucil in order for it to work its way through her bowels. Some ferrets prefer it warmer; some like it cooler. Some like meaty flavors (or melt a tiny bit of butter on top), some prefer fruity flavors.

This laxative must be repeated ONCE DAILY FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW....or a TOTAL OF THREE TIMES OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS.  The biggest problem is that we *know* your ferret has ingested something and she really should be monitored to be sure she is able to pass the blockage and the Metamucil when it starts to work.  IF YOU ARE HOME TOMORROW WITH HER, that would be best. If not, maybe there is someone you can leave her with, or drop her off at the vet for the day while you are at work so they can watch her?

You just need to look at all your options and understand that your ferret's condition could change very quickly in the next 72 hours, whether you give this treatment or now. She *must* pass the toy parts she swallowed. Without xrays, we don't really know how much or where the blockage is, so observation is the only tool we have to help her with.  *Someone needs to be there to observe her.*

I hope you can arrange for someone to be with her for the next 72 hours - hopefully it is you; if not, someone you trust and someone who has a car that can get her to a vet quickly if she takes a turn for the worst.

The symptoms you want to be looking out for that will indicate she is in distress and needs to go to the vet immediately:  **swollen hard stomach, scant or skinny poops, attempts to poop (frantically in and out of litterbox) with no results, vomiting, won't eat or drink, listless or weakness.

It's especially important that she have lots of water while she is taking the Metamucil/Vetasyl treatment. She may be more thirsty than usual and the more fluids will help the fiber-laxatives work.  If she doesn't drink enough, they won't work either; so, if she doesn't drink at least 3 of the 6-oz of fluid, do not count that as having had a dose of lax.  If you cannot get a dose down her - get her to the vet - you have an emergency.  The toy *must* come out one way or another.  There is a possibility it *could* come out on it's own. It is more likely that a small amount will come out and some will stay inside and fester....that's my concern.  That's why you need to keep the toy so you can put the pieces back as it comes out (sounds gross, but her life is at stake, so rinse the pieces off and see what you have and what you are missing).

Hopefully that will give you enough guidance that you know what to do from here. I'm not sure what your situation is as far as vet availability.  I will give you the standard ferret vet list so you can see if there is one near you available on 24-hr emergency call just in case you need one and don't have one:

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

I will keep your little girl in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you are able to get either the Vetasyl caps or some Metamucil down her; either in the sugar-free fruit flavor (low fiber easy-to-swallow kind) or the regular kind and you can even mix it with some chicken or beef baby food or whatever your ferret is most likely to DRINK...but don't forget...DRINK....A FULL SIX OUNCES.  Stir occasionally as she drinks if she will let you (especially if you use the older kind because it kind of settles to the bottom if you don't). If you cannot get any of these down her, or she has any other problems at all, please get her to your vet as quickly as possible. Her life could very very quickly be in immediate danger. I hope you will give me an update and let me know she makes it through this?  I worry when I hear stories like this.  I'm so glad you were paying attention & know she that she got ahold of it, but now we just have to hope and pray it comes out okay. These are the thing that make us moms old way before our time!  Hang tough, my friend.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers