Taking YUCKY medications...

[Katie]

Hi there,

We have a 5 year old ferret named Brownie (who is one of 5 ferrets). She has insulinoma and had surgery to have a tumor removed about 6 months ago. Since then she has been on pred twice a day. We just give her a bit of furotone and put the pred in there, and she laps it up no problem, thinking it is a treat. She also has adrenal disease and gets monthly lupron injections for that, as well as daily melatonin, also 'hidden' in her furotone. Besides this, she is a very affectionate, happy fuzzy.

Last night and this morning she really was not doing well and we took her to Dr. Benoit, afraid she was going to have to be put down. He figured it may be ulcers as she has been having black stools. She got some SQ fluids to perk her up and we are going to try the H. pylori cocktail to see if it helps her and we don't have to put her down. I just don't want her to suffer.

Anyways, she must be feeling a bit better at least. The dramatics that went on when we had to give her her meds were quite spectacular!! The antibiotics each are a half mL twice a day...much more than the 0.11 mL she was getting of pred. As it was she did not want to take the 0.13 mL of sucralfate (sp?) 'hidden' in her furotone until I made the 'blobs' pretty small. There were booger strings flying everywhere when we gave her the antibiotics. I offered her some furotone afterwards and she was having none of it. She just gave me a dirty look when I tried to get her to eat some kibble also, as her tummy might still be upset I imagine. I tried to offer her some carnivore care to keep her sugars from dropping and get something into her stomach, but that was rejected almost as dramatically as the antibiotics....

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting these medications into her? Right now my husband is around to help, but he is out of town this weekend, which is going to make things even more tricky. It really is quite dramatic and I would like to 'traumatize' her as little as possible.

Thanks,
Katie

[Tressie]

Hi Katie,

I have tons of experience with ulcers in ferrets. The black stool is a dead giveaway that there's an ulcer in the upper GI tract. Pred will cause ulcers if given on an empty stomach - ergo it must always be given after eating some food. Ulcers are treatable!

Are you on the new protocol for them: Biaxin and Amoxicillin OR
the old one Metronidazole and Amoxi? See: miamiferret.org/helicobacter.htm

I hope it is the new one because Metronidazole is absolutely putrid - if you think Biaxin is bad.

The sulcrafate has to be given 20-30 minutes before EVERY feeding or medication. It needs time to coat over the ulcer.

She should not be eating ANY kibble right now until her ulcer is healed. What the ferret experts in U.S. (Williams, Murray) recommend is chicken baby food (the kind with only broth - NO veggies, pasta etc. in it). You can also mix it with A/D. In other words you make a duck soup out of chicken baby food, A/D and warm water. It should be fairly watery. Put a few drops of Ferretone into the duck soup to encourage her to eat it.

The antibiotics as well should never be given on an empty stomach. What I have done in the past is put the antibiotics into a small amount of the duck soup with Ferretone added and let them eat that mix first - then give rest of food.

Tressie

[Katie]

Hi.

I woke to Brownie throwing up what looked like coffee grounds this morning. Lots. It was already 5:30 so we held her, comforted her, talked about all the good times we had with her and waited for Fairview to open. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to treat her for her ulcer if she was that nauseous with that much blood in her belly, as well as manage to keep her sugars within reason. So, we let her go. It seemed to be the only humane thing I could do for her. She is comfortable now but will be very missed. She was a very special little girl.

K

[Tressie]

Hi Katie,

I am so very, very sorry for your loss of your beloved Brownie.

Hugs,
Tressie

[rose]

Sorry for your loss. Brownie will be missed.

[purpleferret]

(((((Katie and Brownie))))) :-(

[mindy]

i am so very sorry for your loss

[Katie]

Thanks guys. It is amazing how attached/bonded we get to these little ones and how much it hurts when they leave us.

I keep thinking "I want her back" and then think how I don't want her to suffer any more like she was in the end.

However, I do think the bond was 2 ways; she waited until all my exams were over (as well as a big interview) before complaining...and she only had black stools for a day at that point. (And although I was distracted I don't think I would have been distracted to the point of not noticing her discomfort.) She was a very sweet little girl (even though she was already 5!)

Her poor buddy Boo is missing her. She keeps looking for her, even though we had her with us when Brownie went to sleep. I guess to her that wasn't Brownie anymore...but I didn't know how else to explain it to her. She keeps flopping on the floor and looking at me, and actually cuddles with people now...before she only cuddled with Brownie. I guess this is to be expected though; her and Brownie became a pair when Boo was 6 months old and Brownie was 4 months old, and have only spent 1 or 2 days apart in that time. She is still eating and drinking (and sleeping lots). I guess we are going to have to help each other through this.

Anyways, thanks. It is good to know that I am not the only "crazy ferret person" out there.