From:
Richard Steele
Date: 2002-02-12 16:43:00 UTC
Subject: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: She died tonight
Thank you very much Dr Williams. That means so much. I know I hate the
idea of letting her get cut up so much between the rabies test and the
necropsy, as a loving owner, but she's not going to feel any of it and we
really need to know for absolute certainty to possibly help save more lives
in the future. I agree with you wholeheartedly with this. We would not be
where we are today in the health industry (humans or animals) if it weren't
for doing autopsies. How else will we learn for the future? Thank you
again Dr Williams. It means so much to me to have vets tell me these kinds
of things. And to have our vet commend me on everything I'd done in this
situation really helped as well. So many people have no idea that you
(vets) aren't just doctors of animals. It's a profession where you have to
work with the people as well.
Miranda
----- Original Message -----
From: "dr_bruce_williams" <bruce.h.williams@h...>
To: <Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 2:59 PM
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "kath0524" <katharine@n...> wrote:
It's like...geez, I've been sick, I died, and
> now you're going to torture me further!!
Not wanting to seem cold, but if the cause of death is in question,
and this animal bit an employee of the vets, it is not beyond
justification to send off the brain for testing, just to be on the
safe side, and especially since a necropsy IS being performed.
Quarantines are always better for live animals, but you can't
quarantine one that has already passed.
> I wonder why vets' offices don't routinely have all of their
> employees (and the vets too) get the rabies pre-exposure shots.
> They're not terribly expensive (about $315 for the series through
the
> health department here). Sure could save a lot of grief and
anguish.
Unfortunately, rabies shots are not without health risks for humans -
ractions are not uncommon with these vaccines. I reacted once and it
was no fun. Sort of like having a really itchy hangover.
There has to be understanding of the veterinarian's point of view,
here too. The vet should have the opportunity, when it is not too
onerous, to protect him or herself, their employees, and their
livelihood. Many do get the pre-exposure, that it is not 100%
protective, and rabies is not something to fool around with.
A bit of philosphy here: When an animal dies, the spirit - that
which made your pet the unique and beloved individual that it was -
leaves the body, and all that is left is decaying carbon based
matter, simply a shell. By equating the examination of organs as
torture, we open the door for the next logial step - the prohibition
of autopsy. with autopsy, we would indeed know far less about ferret
disease than we do today.
I would commend Miranda on her strength in this most difficult time,
and pass on my condolences as well.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
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