Post-Surgery Care

Question
Hi, my ferret is 5 years old & just had stomach surgery because she had an extra large hairball blocking any food coming. She had surgery (this was her first) & came home 2 days ago. The vet sent me home with a packaged powder I mixed with water & fed her, & she seemed eager to eat. However, I ran out of that food, & today I tried giving her duck soup, softened kibble, kitten food (watered down a bit), canned ferret food (also watered down), Ferretone, & STILL she won't eat anything today. I'm still keeping up on her meds twice a day (antibiotics for stomach irratation & also another med that coats the stomach) & she still won't eat. On top of that, I have another ferret who's 6 & they've been together for at least 3 years, but it's like I've introduced a new ferret into the house or something because my older ferret will attack the post-surgery one! I have them in separate cages & everything for the recovery but thought a little outside time would do them good, but the alpha ferret is so upset. I'm at my wit's end, I have to go to work tomorrow but I'm so afraid to leave my sick little fuzzy home alone, even if I'm not having any luck feeding her anyway. Any Suggestions please? It would be GREATLY appreciated.

Answer
Hi Aida:

I'm so sorry that your little one seems to be slow getting back to eating after her surgery.  My little male ferret just had surgery for a hairball about six weeks ago and I had the same problem.  He just needed a few more days of the food that's extra gentle on the tummy - then he went right back to eating.  It's just possible that your little girl isn't ready to eat real food quite yet.

If I were you, I'd definitely be calling the vet as soon as possible and get some more of the powdered food and keep your little one on it a few more days and see if that doesn't take care of the problem.  Ferrets HAVE to eat and drink regularly and especially post surgically can get dehydrated and weak really fast.  

Even tho you have to work tomorrow, maybe you could get ahold of your vet yet this evening or first thing in the morning and make a quick run home and feed it to her?  She really shouldn't be going even that long without eating.  

Is there possibly an all night vet hospital where you could get some of the powdered mix yet this evening?  Just trying to think of options.  

I'm sure as soon as her tummy feels good enough, she will go back to at least maybe some Hills A/D (used for post surgical or sick ferrets because it is easily digested and appeals to them - although you may have to dip your finger into it and put some in her mouth and *make* her taste it a few times before she accepts it).  

The other thing that would probably help is a prescription medication called Reglan, which is for nausea and ultimately will help her appetite.  I had to have my ferret on it for about 5-6 days post surgically and it made him a bit more agreeable to eating.  If she's not already on that, I would highly suggest putting her on it.

If you can't get anything down her by morning, it's possible she could dehyrate to a point  that she *may* need IV or subQ fluids - ferrets dehydrate really quickly and that can kill them faster than anything, so you really want to keep an eye on that.  To check for dehydration, pinch up the skin on her scruff (the loose skin on the back of her neck) and if it tends to stay up rather than snap right back down, she is dehydrated and definitely needs to be seen as soon as possible for subQ or IV fluids - even if it means taking her to an emergency after-hours vet or hospital.

Hope this bit of information helps. Trust me, once they pass the first week post-surgically and things quiet down a little, they just bounce back quickly and are strong and themselves in no time at all. You are just at a little bump in the road right now and with proper care, she will get over this and will be better than ever before you know it.  Please give her an extra special, gentle hug from me and my best wishes to get well soon.

p.s.......as far as the other ferret attacking her.  When she is feeling a bit better, give both ferrets a bath so they smell alike (it's the different smell of the vet's office that is throwing your other ferret off - not recognizing her :-).  That won't be a big deal - it's just an indication that it's probably a litttle soon to put them back together.  Both of them having baths, then put clean blankies in their cage and they will get along just fine, if they were getting along before the surgery.  

If I can be of any further help, please don't hesitate to write again.  I wish you and your little one the best! Hang in there, the worst really IS almost over :-)  Just get her past this one last bump in the road and you'll be on the road to quick recovery - I promise!