From:
blcksmth7@aol.com
Date: 2002-09-06 04:03:08 UTC
Subject: Unexpected death guilt and gloom.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <13810972.1031284988685.JavaMail.root@scandium>
It may not be stylish to be a man and grieving the loss of a ferret but her=
e I am. My buddy a male ferret 4 years old and companion and playmate, for =
my wife and I's first flat rat(nickname 106 of 208 or so for ferret) died v=
ery unexpectedly he began producing symptoms very like dehydration and extr=
eme wieght loss a week ago. ( his urine was orange in color and deposited v=
ery unceremoniously on bathroom floor. We became concerned but believed the=
illness was in rocky our 7-8 yr old fuzzy (75<nickname) we immediately beg=
an hand watering both ferrets but had no other out ward signs of which ferr=
et was ill. we have doctored ferrets now for 4-5 years at home and when we =
became concerned sought veterinary help. finally witnessing the odd colored=
urine being deposited by the true culprit (SHAD A CZAR) we set an appointm=
ent with the only passingly competent vet who knows a pole cat from a pole =
in the ground. (I do mean passing) the treatment is both times we've sought=
help for diffent symptoms is an IV DRip an overnight stay and 165.00 bill.=
=
Now knowing who was ill We prepaired to bite the bullet set an appointme=
nt for 2 days hence began ducksoup treatment and began very careful observa=
tion of toilet habits. A sever weight loss had occured since the on set of =
the orange urine. He began eating gerbers baby food and drinking plenty of=
water spiked with pedialite. I observed another bowel movement watery stoo=
l and urine with a couple of drops of blood clearly visible however the uri=
ne was now a light yellow so I assumed the worst had past and the weasle mi=
ght have an ulcerated rectum from passing hard grainy stool. AT THIS POINT =
IM STILL THINKING theres probably a blockage. 5 hours later and seemingly a=
new ferret,playful bouncing and energetic he passed 2 black tarry stools p=
romptly went to sleep and was dead 3 hours later. I still feel I should hav=
e sought immediate veterinary help and make no excuses save a certain comp=
lacency from doctoring both ferrets through innumerable colds/flus bumps sc=
rapes and all night parties.
Further research has led me to believe that he may have contracted aleut=
ians disease and should probably have verified post mortem but both me and =
my wife made the decision to grieve and bury him prior to finding this to b=
e the likely culprit however I am now concerned for the other ferret and am=
wondering if in my desire to be blameless I have overlooked another potent=
ially catastrophic disease that may endanger our other fuzzybutt(34<nicknam=
e> please I welcome comments and criticism. FUZZY FOREVER KYLER in C=
OLORADO
=