From:
Celia C.
Date: 2001-06-28 01:23:00 UTC
Subject: [Ferret-Health-list] Hacking update and even more ??
Hi Stephanie,
I'm sorry that you (and Icabod) have another illness to deal with! I'm familiar with the awful sinking-gut feeling that comes with each new problem and I sympathize with you!! My girl is 7 1/2 and she has had chronic heart failure (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) for 9 months, along with insulinoma for maybe a year (but has never had a real seizure), had both adrenals removed about 3 years ago, and has had chronic kidney failure for 1 1/2 years. She has her bad days and her blah days, and I worry alot and wonder about the awful question too, but she still gets around--even war dances and attacks feet on occasion, loves to explore, steal things, etc. I know every circumstance is different, but I just wanted to let you know it's not hopeless! Medications can do wonders, too...
Maybe folks are right when they say you'll know when the time is right, I don't know. The only time I've had to make that decision, my vet helped enormously--assuring me during her illness that I wasn't being cruel by keeping her around. In the end, though, the choice was between a very painful death or euthanasia. (And it is still hard, no matter what!!)
I hope you don't have to make that decision for a long time yet!
Best wishes,
Celia
----- Original Message -----
From: Stephanie
.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 2:51 AM
Thanks again to everyone who wrote me regarding the coughing Icabod was having. We went to the vet today and it was indeed pulmonary related. His lungs were not as clear as they should have been and his heart was a bit enlarged. His respitory rate was also increased. He is now on four medications for all his problems.
My questions are:
1) How long can I expect him to live seeing as he has Insulinoma, Adrenal and the pulmonary problems?
2) His only real symptoms are being tired all the time and hind end weakness (even on the pred and all the chicken gravy and duck soup). At what point do you say he's suffered enough? I mean do you let him get to the bottom of the barrel and in pain before you let him go? I don't want to lose him, but I have no idea if he is in a lot of pain or just miserable and I don't want to put him through that. My heart is breaking having to think about him leaving. Do you wait for the seizures to start up while he is on the meds? I want to do absolutely everything within my power to make him well and keep him alive, but I'm feeling that I may be selfish in this endeavor and am asking when other people say "that is enough." (Please note that I'm not at that point yet because we just started these meds, but I am trying to prepare for the inevitable and I want to make the right choices for him.)
Thanks for all your sharing and experience,
Stephanie
with Maggie, Bullwinkle, Shasta, Emeline and Icabod