Rinnie has really started grinding her teeth a LOT. I did a quick google search and read that it is normally a symptom of stomach ulcers or some such. So I will most likely be picking up some antibiotics for her. Joy!
But, do you guys think what she is doing sounds like just a stomach ouchy, or should I be concerned about a blockage? She doesn't really chew on anything, but I did catch her attempting to eat the mesh lining of a pair of shorts the other day, so who knows.
I first noticed her teeth grinding after she would get done drinking water out of the dish. She'd dig in the water, snorkel in the water, and generally make a nuisance of herself (which she still does) while drinking. Afterwards, she'd gag, sneeze, and teeth grind temporarily. I put a water bottle in the cage that she now uses to drink out of and that seems to have helped (although she does still use the dish on occasion and makes a nuisance of herself). She much prefers the water bottle over the dish, which I thought was odd as the two boys won't even touch the water bottle.
Here in the past few days she's started teeth grinding when she eats/right after she eats. I didn't think anything of it at first, because Ruben makes a similar noise when he eats due to chewing on one side of his mouth more so than the other (nothing is wrong with him, he just does that), and I thought perhaps the kibble was getting stuck between her teeth and causing her problems chewing (this used to happen to Casey all the time). Yesterday I realized it was actually teeth grinding. I looked in her mouth and besides some tarter buildup and what looks to be a cavity on one of her rear teeth, she mouth is healthy. Gums look good and aren't inflamed. I also found a brand of treats she likes (Whiskas cat treats, of all things - she doesn't like the Bandit treats I give the boys) and she eats those without any complaints.
She is drinking, acting normal (playing/stealing clothes/being cute), and eating. I'm assuming she is still defecating/urinating properly, but I haven't watched her closely enough to know that for sure. Now that I know something is wrong I'm going to monitor her more closely to make sure everything is processing normally.
I don't really have any extra money at the moment, but if it sounds like it could be a blockage I'll suck it up and get her Xrayed, just in case. If she is having bowel movements, she should be in the clear regarding a blockage, right? Especially since this has been going on for awhile and she hasn't keeled over? Or can a blockage start off not serious, and then progressively get worse?
I will be putting her on some antibiotics for stomach ulcers regardless, I just want to make sure I cover all my bases if need be.
Silly ferrets. I find it slightly ironic that Ruben is the one that I was really worried about health wise and he plumped up into a gorgeous, fat, healthy boy whereas Rinnie and Dameon I thought wouldn't have any problems and then they come down sick. *sigh*
But, do you guys think what she is doing sounds like just a stomach ouchy, or should I be concerned about a blockage? She doesn't really chew on anything, but I did catch her attempting to eat the mesh lining of a pair of shorts the other day, so who knows.
I first noticed her teeth grinding after she would get done drinking water out of the dish. She'd dig in the water, snorkel in the water, and generally make a nuisance of herself (which she still does) while drinking. Afterwards, she'd gag, sneeze, and teeth grind temporarily. I put a water bottle in the cage that she now uses to drink out of and that seems to have helped (although she does still use the dish on occasion and makes a nuisance of herself). She much prefers the water bottle over the dish, which I thought was odd as the two boys won't even touch the water bottle.
Here in the past few days she's started teeth grinding when she eats/right after she eats. I didn't think anything of it at first, because Ruben makes a similar noise when he eats due to chewing on one side of his mouth more so than the other (nothing is wrong with him, he just does that), and I thought perhaps the kibble was getting stuck between her teeth and causing her problems chewing (this used to happen to Casey all the time). Yesterday I realized it was actually teeth grinding. I looked in her mouth and besides some tarter buildup and what looks to be a cavity on one of her rear teeth, she mouth is healthy. Gums look good and aren't inflamed. I also found a brand of treats she likes (Whiskas cat treats, of all things - she doesn't like the Bandit treats I give the boys) and she eats those without any complaints.
She is drinking, acting normal (playing/stealing clothes/being cute), and eating. I'm assuming she is still defecating/urinating properly, but I haven't watched her closely enough to know that for sure. Now that I know something is wrong I'm going to monitor her more closely to make sure everything is processing normally.
I don't really have any extra money at the moment, but if it sounds like it could be a blockage I'll suck it up and get her Xrayed, just in case. If she is having bowel movements, she should be in the clear regarding a blockage, right? Especially since this has been going on for awhile and she hasn't keeled over? Or can a blockage start off not serious, and then progressively get worse?
I will be putting her on some antibiotics for stomach ulcers regardless, I just want to make sure I cover all my bases if need be.
Silly ferrets. I find it slightly ironic that Ruben is the one that I was really worried about health wise and he plumped up into a gorgeous, fat, healthy boy whereas Rinnie and Dameon I thought wouldn't have any problems and then they come down sick. *sigh*
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