From:
furrysnakes12
Date: 2002-03-10 21:53:00 UTC
Subject: DESTROYING FERRET ON MONDAY!!!!!!!
I recently bought (02-14-02) 2- 10 month old ferrets from a private
indiviual and added them to my family. We are a happy 12 now. Lucy
and Ethel have made the adjustment and were doing well. On 03-09-02,
Lucy was given a bite of cheese by an unkowing guest. On 03-10-02,
lucy had diarrhea. I gave her pepto bismol and tried to get to drink
pedialyte. Most of the other ferrets love it, but not Lucy. My vet
was unavailable, so when Lucy started to dehydrate, I became
concerned and started to panic. I had finally gotten the diarrhea to
stop, but the dehydration was very bad. Finally, my vets
receptionist gave me a referral to another vet that I had never been
to before but since Lucy only needed fluids, I took her in on 03-13-
02. I was very nervous going to someone I didnt know. He seemed to
know ferrets though. He had told us he did. He said he would get
Lucy on fluids. Her weight was 1.15. She had been close to 2 pounds
just a few days before, but the diarrhea had played havoc with her.
So I left her. I called back on Thursday, the next day, and he told
me that Lucy was much the same, and he wanted to keep her another
night. I reluctantly agreed after he said she was still dehydrated.
On Friday morning, the vet called me, frantic. He said that on
Thursday night, he had been watching Lucy and it dawned on him when
she kept bumping into the walls of the cage that she was blind. I
politely tried to tell him that could not be possible. I was told
that, "I am a vet with xx amount of years practice and I know a blind
animal. That ferret is blind. So, thats why all her tests are
normal, its because its not physical thats wrong with her. Its
mental. Neurological. Has she had her rabies vaccine?" I numbly
tried to remember the transaction when I bought her. Yes. Her and
Lucy have had their shots. He then tells me. "Where? I need proof
because on Wednesday night while giving fluids, she bit my
assistant." So I give him the peoples name and he calls. To my
horror, Lucy has only had her distemper shot, not rabies. I
immediately race to get to her and cry the whole time because she
looks horrible. I pay a $280.00 bill so far, that shows all the crap
that he has done to her that was not needed. All she needed was
fluids. He has already called the disease department of our state by
the time I get there. I am told that she is in his care until Monday
morning. If he thinks she is better then he will keep her until
Friday and then release her to me. If he thinks she isnt better then
he will kill her and have her tested for rabies. I am in shock, but
while loving on her, I make sure that she can track my finger. Shes
not blind. Saturday, I go to see her again. And Lucy looks much
better! Her little eyes arent squinted, and she plays with the toy I
have brought her. She scampers to the hammock I have for her and
takes the baby chicken food from my finger. She eats some of her
ferret food that I brought her. He had her trying to eat kitty
food. The vet finally reluctantly admits that she isnt blind. I am
so happy so is doing better. He says, she seems to be. Today,
Sunday, I couldnt go to see her. But he called. Wasnt that
thoughtful? (smirk) He says that she seems to be about the same.
Still dehydrated. He says he cant understand why shes dehydrated
every day if shes drinking, and she is. He thinks its because she
isnt swallowing. An animal with rabies will look like they are
drinking but they really arent, he says. Lucy is now down to 1.3
pounds. So, here I sit waiting for in the morning. In the morning
when I will go and stay with my baby until this idiot decides, (I
cringe every time I think of it being his decision and no one elses)
if she lives or dies. I have tried repeatedly to tell him that
ferrets arent like dogs and cats. They do not bounce back immediately
after dehydrating. It takes them a bit. I tried to tell him that
she was perfectly healthy until she had a bite of cheese. He tried
to make a joke out of it by commenting that he didnt ever want any of
that cheese. I tried to explain that dairy was like poison to
ferrets. He wont listen. I can not believe that he is more than
likely going to kill her tomorrow. I could tell today by the way his
voice sounded when he said, shes about the same. He wanted to start
his employee on the rabies shots on friday but the disease control
told him to wait until monday to see how the ferret was doing.
Please. I know this has been long and drawn out, and I know this is
short notice. But if there are any night owls out there with any
info on anything that I can take to him in the morning, I would be so
thankful. and so would Lucy.