From:
ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2001-03-08 12:58:00 UTC
Subject: Renal Failure was Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Digest Number 45
In a message dated 03/08/01 2:56:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com writes:
<< I'm at a loss and need some advice. Though he
won't lie in my arms for long, he's a pitiful
sight to see when he does. I walk around the
house and find him flattened out somewhere just
watching the world go by. He seems to have no
interest in anything.
>>
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about this. Renal failure is one of the diseases
that I see most often in my practice, and it's one of the hardest because it
does seem to have a sudden onset of signs. Even in an animal that has
advanced kidney disease, they often seem pretty good and then go downhill
suddenly.
The best advice that I can give you is the same that I give my clients - keep
him comfortable for as long as you can, and when he is no longer comfortable,
let him go. The biggest single thing you can do to help him stay comfortable
is to keep him hydrated, so you might try increasing his fluid injections.
I've lost two of my own to kidney failure, so I do know how hard it is to
deal with. Just remember that the important thing now is the quality of his
life.
Dr. Ruth
*****************************************
Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.