From:
furrysnakes12
Date: 2002-03-11 20:27:00 UTC
Subject: Lucy Update
I went this morning to the "vets" to stay with Lucy all day if
necessary to keep her from being harmed in anyway. I was armed with
a whole folder of information that I had obtained from every website
available that I could I could find on rabies in ferrets and
diarrhea/dehydration. I didnt even ask what he was going to do when
I got there. I marched in with my folder, handed it to him on my way
through his waiting room and went straight to the back room where
Lucy was caged with a horrible red sign now that says "Rabies
Suspect." Good grief.
Lucy ate almost 2 spoons of her chicken baby food for me and played
happily with her toy. Her eyes were much brighter and rounder today,
looking more like the shiny oil drops that they used to resemble.
The "vet" (I still use this term with a smirk)came back much later,
while she was giving me kisses, (shouldnt he try to keep anyone, even
the owner, from having contact with her if he really thought she had
rabies?)and said that she wouldnt eat the baby food for him. (i
wouldnt either)I told him it has to be on the finger or hand. That
sick babies like to be cuddled. He just kind of looked at me and
said, well, I wont do that until Friday. So that was the extent of
his telling me that he wasnt going to kill her today. I wanted to
jump around the room and scream with happiness. He then gets out the
fluid bags and needles and asks me to help him give them to her. I
wondered if this was his way of trying to make up. (right, not
possible) So, Lucy gets 30ml of fluids (i really think thats not
enough for dehydration. all of the articles i found said 60-90 ml)
and antibiotic. Before he left, he finally said that she seems to be
doing much better and that she might be released before Friday if she
keeps responding to treatment.
I wanted to take Lucy to a different vet today,one that I had found
in my search over the weekend. Yes, I finally found one here. He is
listed on the ferret vets page for my state. (arkansas) He even
called me and talked to me for quite some time about Lucy. So at
least now my babies will have very good care. However, the "vet"
wouldnt even discuss that with me. He said that it was his decision
on her care and he wanted her there. Reluctantly, I had to let this
slide for now.
I want to thank all of you that responded. It helped so much. Thank
you again. And I am so glad that I finally found a place where other
people love their fuzzies as much as I do mine. Your anger and
disbelief at Lucys treatment made me more determined to fight him if
I have to.
I havent caused a scene yet with this man. When my baby is safely in
her carrier and locked in my car then I will go back and in his
waiting room, not herded to his private office away from the ears of
all his unsuspecting patients and their owners, I am going to tell
him how completely uninformed, unknowledgeable, ignorant, and what a
#$#%@%# he really is. Is that childish of me? I feel the need to
vent to him so badly and I cant as long as he has her life in his
hands.
My favorite line that he said today was, "I must be something right,
she's gaining her weight back." (i have no comment on that one)