From:
sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-11-04 14:30:41 UTC
Subject: Maggie
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <27578979.1036436170196.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Nanci, were chest x-ray and/or ultrasounds done? Ultrasounds are really needed to design the more effctive heart treatment medical approaches. Either can pick up heart or lung dsiease that can't be heard.
We've had one with pneumonia and pleurosy -- which could not be heard but which so obscured the x-ray when done that the ferret was immediatly put on heavy antibiotics and ultrasound was done the next day, with two sets of radiologists agreeing that she had both problems. Her symptom? That day she had coughed multiple coughs a few times which was out of the norm for her. She went on to live about a year and a half more after beign treated, dying of other causes as an oldster.
If those imaging tests weren't done I strongly suggest them.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com,
steph@cosmicglue.com
From: arobbin@schange.com
Message-ID: <OFAB82B0DC.A1C88237-ON85256C67.004F326B@schange.com>
Hi Stephanie. I had the same concerns about my Moose who was a little
over 7 years old. He stopped eating on his own six months before passing
on. We had done every test that their was to find out what was wrong,
tried every medication we could think of, never found out the issue.
Anyway, I syringe fed Moose for six months, wondering if I was helping or
not. I had even made two appointments to help him over the bridge. Each
time I went, I decided he wasn't ready.
He did finally let me know he was ready when he started to clamp his mouth
shut and refuse the syringe. He was gone within a 24 hours of that. I
didn't know why he was dying, but it would not be of starvation if I could
help it. He did tell me it was time and I look at those six tiring months
as a bonding opportunity and a chance to spoil him rotten, giving him
yummy soup. Moose's last few weeks were spent eating and sleeping with an
occasional wobble around the apartment.
Maggie will tell you when it's time. If she willingly eats (even if you
have to use a syringe) then she's not ready. A ferret in pain rarely eats
on it's own.
Good luck and Maggie is very lucky to have such a concerned mom.