almost went to ER last night...

[Tink]

baby bear..intestinal blockage..syringe feeding every few hours..too tired to go into details..very stressed...will update later.

[dandysmom]

OMG sorry, Tink! Update us later; hope he's OK by now.....

[yola]

:( Oh no. Poor little thing. I do hope he's better now. What a major worry for you all :( Hugs.

[Mags]

Poor Baby Bear, I hope things have improved this morning Tink....:(

[Tink]

he is better thanx all. he was vomiting , not eating, and pooping very little (most of it was foreign object he got into).
blockages are common in ferrets and is number one killer for those under two years old. they don't have a reflux mechanism so can't vomit so when they do they are very ill.
they also need to eat every few hours and i needed to get food into his little body which was challenging and keep him hydrated by putting pedialyte into him too.
off syringe feeding, he ate kibble on his own for first time last night and is playing and pooping again with no vomit.
still trying to determine if we need to do a barium xray to make sure nothing is left as they can have internal damage, ulcers, IBS, etc. from a blockage.
still giving lots of hairball remedy and pumpkin to make sure all is gone..one thing that bothers me is he has a new mannerism of sitting like a person and hunching can mean pain..still a bit paranoid.

[Moli]

So sorry to hear about the little one Tink, healing vibes coming for him....Hugs.....xx

[angieh]

Sorry to hear about baby bear Tink. Hope he is a bit better today?

[Mags]

Hope baby bear is better today Tink....

[calismum]

Do hope today has brought more improvements. It is such a worry when something so smal is unwell like that. At least you know what to look for I didn't know half of that.

Keep us posted

CM

[Tink]

better today..played really hard..i would like to see more poop coming out though (funny how we want to see poop when they are ill).
he was walking on his tippy toes while playing which would be amusing if i didn't have paranoia in the back of my mind (still checking for signs of discomfort/pain). but he walks normally not playing..maybe he was just being a silly baby.
i am really broke to be honest and this vet has already taken hold checks from me and did the work to keep him from dying when he went into shock for free a few weeks ago so it would be really hard for me to ask them to do that again.
then again if he becomes ill and i could have prevented it by swallowing my pride and asking someone to give me money i'd never forgive myself.
probably just worrying myself to death but he is my little deaf baby..he has waardenburgs syndrome which can be similar to autism and he is very smart but a bit different and i've always fussed over him.

[yola]

Tink, you are doing the most amazing job looking after your darling Baby Bear, I hope that that'll all that will be thrown at you and him health-wise at the moment.

I didnt' realise he was deaf, but I suspected he might be seeing as he's pure white!

[Tink]

Tink, you are doing the most amazing job looking after your darling Baby Bear, I hope that that'll all that will be thrown at you and him health-wise at the moment.

I didnt' realise he was deaf, but I suspected he might be seeing as he's pure white!


i hope not either! i really would like a break of the anxiety..been a little stressful with little incidents here and there this last month.

yes many of these kind get labeled bad and are surrendered because they cannot listen to voice demands to correct them. he communicates to me with his eyes and it is my job to figure out what he wants as with this syndrome they don't know skills on how to communicate what they want/feel. we can pretty much read each other now. of course there's hand signals..and trying to find him can be hard but switching on and off the lights or wiggling a flashlight if he's somewhere out of reach does well..or if he's playing on a tube i will make a vibration with my fingers and he knows i am interacting and where i am. i speak to him with him pressed up against my chest so he can "feel" me talking. it is such a neat way of doing things. i'm so happy he came to me. he has such a positive, happy-go-lucky attitude that could lead him into his own demise with this innocence that everything will turn out alright and so carefree..
makes me admire, envy, and want to coddle and protect him at the same time.
i have been the only member of the house kuan yin ever grooms in such a loving, gentle manner. she now does this to baby bear. there's something so innocent craving love and reassurance about him that even a young one year old becomes motherly as well.

[meep]

Oh Tink I'm sorry to hear that Baby Bear hasn't been well and that it's causing you stress. Your wee story about him and his ways is just wonderful, he sounds like a precious, unique and lovely boy. You've done a fantastic job of looking after him, it's fascinating to read about the ways you communicate with him. Give him a cuddle for me, and I hope you have a relaxing day.

[angieh]

I think you're wonderful Tink and the bond you have with baby bear is wonderful too. I loved your description of how you communicate and understand one another and how Kuan Yin has taken to him. Hope you and all your furry family can have a break from anxiety and enjoy each other's company for a long while now.

[dandysmom]

I also am in awe at your skills at communicating with your boy; you're awesome, Tink! And that is so touching about Kuan Yin grooming him, what a lovely story.

[calismum]

Tink, so pleased that he seems to be on the way to recovery. It has been a stressful time for you recently and you must be feeling it. I hope the next while is a bit better for you and you manage to relax a little and just enjoy your animals.

CM

[Tink]

thanx all.
he is much better today! he almost got himself in trouble again but it was good because he showed me the source of his troubles..he had a stash of the naughty blockage material under the television! *groans*. that thing is ancient and heavy, i'm going to have OH move it tonight so i can clear it out and he is off limits till i can make sure this stuff isn't around anymore! (he is in the midst of rebuilding some tanks for reptiles and fish and that silicone stuff helps him seal the glass so it keeps popping up!). luckily i still have two absolutely ferret-proofed rooms for them to roam till i feel comfortable again.
thanx for the compliments..honestly i just did a lot of research after concluding he had waardenburgs syndrome..really just what any other mommy would do.
oh and about kuan yin, forgot to tell you she "babysits".
if i need to leave the room and baby bear is wanting attention, as i am trying to close the door kuan yin will run in and curl herself around him and stay like that with him till i come back. she really is a good girl :-)

[dandysmom]

Isn't it amazing how the mothering instinct can overcome the species barrier? What a good girl she is!