From:
"J. Luis Lujan"
Date: 2003-08-05 12:38:37 UTC
Subject: My ferret is very sick and probably dying. Urgent advice needed.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com, ferret-list@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Message-id: <5.0.2.1.2.20030805080214.00b7abe0@pop.cwru.edu>
Hi everyone!
I'm posting this message in the FML and Ferret Health.
I have a 5 1/2 year old male, Ferry, who is dying from what is probably
many complications, and I want to ask you if there's something we're
missing and should try, or we're being selfish and should let go.
He was diagnosed with Insulinoma over a year and a half ago and is
currently taking Pred.
He's gained a lot of weight since then (his current weight is about 5lbs
11oz), and has been on a diet of ground chicken mixed with Marshall's dry
food. This mixture has a lot of water in it so it is very soft (the only
way he'll eat it), and so are his stools.
His hind legs are very weak (due probably to the excess weight) so every
time he defecates he gets it all over his rear, which has caused him to
have some sort of "diaper rash". We're treating this with Neosporin (we
also tried Desitin, but the vet said Neosporin was better) and daily baths.
The problem with baths is that they keep his skin moist for longer periods,
which doesn't help.
He also has cataracts.
A couple of weeks ago I found him limp in his bed and he didn't want to
eat/drink anything (the signs were different to when he had had attacks due
to insulinoma before) so we rushed him to the vet's. The vet said he could
hear fluid in his lungs, so he prescribed some lasix to clear out the
fluid. Later that day Ferry was eating his food and feeling a lot better.
The next day he was back to his normal self.
Last Saturday we took a car trip from Cleveland to Detroit and back. The
whole time he and his 2 sisters had enough ventilation and water so they
were comfortable. When we got back (at around 2:00am) he was doing alright,
but Sunday morning I found him limp again and rushed him again to the vet.
As per our request, the vet also administered lasix and some B-12. The vet
said he felt a mass on Ferry's belly and wanted to check it out, so we had
an X-ray scheduled for Monday morning (let me remind you that Ferry's belly
is huge). The X-ray revealed a mass that seems to be either growing on his
left kidney or right next to it (it is hard to tell from the X-ray). The
X-ray also showed some bone loss on his hind legs.
Ferry's been having some "jerking" attacks or spasms where he continuously
tries to move is front and back legs even when we're carrying him. The
doctor mentioned something about possibly being the result of Calcium
leakage (although he couldn't explain from/to where). I don't know if
excess Ca leaking into the nerves is causing more nerve electrical
activity, therefore resulting in muscle movements.
The doctor also said that Ferry is having some trouble breathing, ad I
could see this Monday afternoon. Ferry would (in a couple of occasions
throughout the afternoon) start gasping for air. He looked very distressed.
I would grab him and breath over his nose and mouth to push some air into
his lungs. With this, he would be ok again after a couple of seconds.
Is he suffering? With the description of all the problems I've given you,
do you think we (the vet and ourselves) are missing something? We love him
very much and wouldn't want him to leave. Every time we see how he enjoys
eating his food, and how he loves sleeping in my wife's arms we think he
every single moment he can enjoy these things is worth fighting for, but
when I see him impatient, moving without going anywhere, or gasping for air
it makes me thing that I'm being very selfish.
I'd appreciate any help/advice you can give me.
Please reply to my email address (jll7@po.cwru.edu).
Thank you very much. Sorry for the long post.
-Luis