Need help: ferret not eating

[lnsybean44]

So kenora (she is 11 months old) made the swtich and was 100% raw as of two and a half weeks ago ish. I feed freeze dried raw during the day and one medium sized mouse at night.

She was spayed last friday and had pyometria so she has been on antibiotics up until yesterday morning. Starting about two days ago she stopped eating and drinking but everything else remained normal. her activity level, feces and urine are all the same. Everything except her eating. She wont touch kibble, freeze dried or her mouse. The best I was able to get from her was to munch (but not eat) the head of a mouse.

I was able to syringe feed her 10 cc of chicken baby food and I took her to work today and gave her 40 cc of sub-Q fluids. As soon as I can get poop from her I am going to run a fecal test (she hasnt pooped since last night since she hasnt been eating.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I called the vet and he seems to think that it was the antibiotics which was why I stopped them. He didnt mention how long it would take for her to start eating again.

I am fairly certain that it is not a blockage since her poop, when it comes, was perfectly normal in both color, shape and size. She also has been confined to a playpen since her surgery to keep her quite post surgery and has continued to be confined since she isnt eating. Bloodwork from her spay last week came back normal except for the white blood cell count from the pyo and her temperature is normal and has remained normal.

Any ideas would be most helpful.

[sherrylynne]

It's entirely possible the antibiotics are nauseating her. You can either get the vet to switch the meds, or get something to coat her tummy before you give them. You definitely don't want to just stop giving them, because any infection she may have could get worse.

[Heather]

Continue with the meds until you can get them switched, the infection could kill her Get her into your vet asap and get the meds switched or if there is no alternative get something to settle her tummy. She's been through a lot in a very short time. You're going to have to syringe feed her until she starts eating again. The chicken baby food is worth everything and can help keep her hydrated and offer nourishment. The fact that she will eat this go for it. Another thing you might consider, just to help her handle all the stress on her little body, perhaps giving her some rescue remedy, and possibly some traumeel both work very well for stress, pain and healing.
This is just my opinion of course but I would be taking her into the vet just for a look see and possibly a switch on her meds.
ciao

[lnsybean44]

She had already been on the antibiotics for ten days so the doctor thought that was long enough. I will call him again today and give him an update and ask if he would like me to try something like baytril and in what dose.

I was able to get her to eat the majority of a "one meal mouse". She took everything but the skin. I would open her mouth and put it in then when she would try to go stash it I would grab it by the tail and pull it away so she fought for it. She would then rip off a chunk, eat it and lose interest so i repeated this again and again until she wasnt trying to stash it any more. Her poop this morning looked normal and she is still looking good.

Her poop last night was dark green but the doctor thinks it was just from the mucus from not eating but I will be keeping an eye on it. I dont think she has any infection since her temperature is normal and she has no other signs of infection. I will try to get her to eat another mouse tonight if I can and I am about to give her more baby food right now just to be on the safe side. She usually doesnt eat again until her mouse tonight but I want to make sure she is getting fluids etc.

[sherrylynne]

One thing to be careful of with ferrets is that they can develop hepatic lipidosis(fatty liver disease), the same as cats, when they don't eat, or don't eat enough. that's one of the reasons it's so important to make sure she's eating, by syringe if necessary.

[Heather]

Do what you need to do to get her to eat...if it means playing tug of war with a mousy so be it . Great job. Good luck. Once you get her eating she will come around
ciao

[lnsybean44]

She is doing well now and eating about 3/4 of her normal food all by herself. I think it may have just been the antibiotics.

[Heather]

I know how crappy I feel on some antibiotics, why not your furbaby. I'm glad to hear that she's on the mend...good luck
ciao

[sherrylynne]

Thanks for letting us know she's eating now! She should come along fine