From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2003-03-07 17:48:43 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] ? about drugs vs surgery (long)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <20030307124843.472c854b.whiteweasel@earthlink.net>
Hi, Becki, and everyone else,
I have two ferrets who had surgery at right around eight years old.
They are still here and happy 7-8 months later, so Odo's age, by itself,
doesn't rule out a successful surgery. Our vet would judge whether or
not a ferret is a surgical candidate by what other medical problems (if
any) the ferret has, how strong he/she is, and if the likely benefits
would outweigh the risks. In Kodo's case we went the drug route first,
made no progress, and decided we really didn't have much of a choice.
Fortunately for Kodo and for us it worked out pretty well.
Oh, FWIW, Podo had his right adrenal gland removed (with vena cava
ligation) and insulinoma surgery just three months later. After the
second surgery he did go into cardiac arrest while waking up from
anaesthesia, but our vet was able to revive him quickly. He went on to
make a complete recovery and seems to have been rejuvinated. He bounces
and plays like a young ferret again and has no recurring symptoms after
eight months. So... my conclusion: surgery was risky for him, but
worth it in the end.
It's always a tough decision. I generally end up trusting our vet's
judgement. We are blessed with an outstanding ferret vet.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Caity and the non-stop nine