From:
Caitlyn M. Martin
Date: 2001-09-01 11:17:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: adrenal problems
Hi, everyone,
I believe Dr. Weiss' number. We own eight of our own. Three had adrenal
surgeries by age three. Two more are starting to show symptoms and are
visiting the vet on Wednesday, and neither of them have turned four yet.
We also do the occasional rescue and/or foster, and we've seen adrenal in
almost three quarters of the older ones. One we had for one night died at a
friend's house just a few weeks later. He was about eight years old, was
considered a good surgical candidate by the vet two years earlier, but went
untreated by the original owners. By the time they decided to surrender the
poor guy he had a huge prostate and a severe urinary tract infection. He ended
up in a situation where he needed surgery and wouldn't have survived the
procedure. The thing is, this fert thought he was a playful kit right up to
the end, and he had no history of other medical problems. If he had been
treated promptly a couple of years earlier he might have been one of those 10
year olds you read about. He certainly still had the love of life and play.
I never judge other people's financial situations, and I understand times are
sometimes tough. Still, we're talking about a life saving procedure that costs
several hundred dollars. If these are beloved pets, people should find a way,
shouldn't they??? Am I being too harsh???
-Caity