>> WARNING!!! Rubber products, such as balloon bits possibly left
>>about after a child's party, can be injested by ferrets and can block
>>the stomach. Signs are dehydration, a firm belly, skin that does not
>>return to normal shape quickly when pinched, and a listless carpet shark.
>>Run that Hoover before you let them play.
>
>In case all of you haven't noticed yet, ferrets are *VERY* prone to
>intestinal blockages. The main culprits are rubber items which
>expand when they come in contact with the digestive juices. But
>just about anything (including their own fur!) can cause a blockage.
>
>I strongly suggest using a laxative (Laxatone, Laxastat, Lax-aire, etc...)
>once or twice a week as a preventative (about a 1 ince ribbon of the
>stuff, more if you suspect possible blockage).
>
>Only allow rubber/latex/foam toys under supervision and *throw them away*
>at the first sign that pieces are being chewed off. Brush your ferret
>during shedding periods. And be careful not to leave any "tempting"
>objects around.
>
>And, most importantly, always keep an eye on the litterbox. Gross as that
>may sound, the litterbox is one of the first indications that something
>is wrong with your ferret. Remember, ferrets have an annoying habit of
>not acting sick until they are at death's door, so as owners we have to
>be keenly aware of our ferrets' behavior patterns, intake & output, and
>sleeping habits. If there is a change in any of those, we know that we
>should be concerned and check for signs of illness.
>
>- Nancy
>--
YES, my now deceased (from an human accident) Chaos almost died from an
earplug that she had eaten. She had it in her like two days before she was
taken to the vet for sugery. I was up with her for two weeks afterwards feeding
her heated babyfood until she recovered. Even though I don't cage my rats, it's
times like this that you have to so that you can watch the litter box. It's no different than what you would do for a human child. btw, linatone is a laxative too.
beckers
and tieke, nero, escher, tigger, riki tiki tavi, josephus
