From:
jblivingston2003@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-01-31 01:20:05 UTC
Subject: RE: How do you know when it''s time to let go
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6884031.1075512005069.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>
Dear Jennifer,
You are in such a horrible position, particularly since you are both in mo=
urning for your other ferret. I've had many ferrets and I can honestly say =
that looking back, there were times that I selfishly kept them alive in the=
hopes that they would get better - they would cling to life and I just cou=
ldn't put them down. I have several regrets in that area...
It sounds like Taz has had a double wammy - being ill and losing his buddy.=
I'd wait a few days to see, but if he continues to behave as if he's not e=
njoying his life, it might be time.
I don't know how many of your pets you've had to put down in the past, but =
I 'd like to relate a stupid thing I've done in the past (which I have not =
repeated). I was with one of my pets as they put him down and he was fighti=
ng them (adremulin) - which made it even worse; anyway, I got upset / agita=
ted /bawling, the vet got upset / agitated / bawling and the poor vet tech =
got severely bitten (and was howling - but probably due to severe pain.) B=
uddy had a massive nonoperable tumor that went from his brain to his stomac=
h area. We didn't know this at the time, he was just showing symptoms that =
he just couldn't keep ging any longer. (Head down on my lap, sighing, et al=
.=
Anyway, the humans getting upset traumatized poor Buddy that much worse. No=
w when I have to put one of my babies down, I make sure that I walk into th=
e room knowing that I can meltdown afterwards but the ferret comes first. I=
still cry (can't stop my tear ducts) but I try to pet him / her lightly an=
d tell them how much I love them and how lucky I was to have known them. =
I am so sorry, to lose two pets within a few weeks / months of one another =
is extremely traumatic. I lost two in May and I'm in the process of losing =
two more at the moment. There is nothing anyone can say to ease your pain, =
but know that we are all thinking about you.
Kindest Regards,
Julie Livingston
Author wrote:
> I am faced with a very difficult decision today. One our ferrets Taz had=
surgery in early December. The vet discovered several tumors only one was=
removed. The vet told us he did not believe that removing the other tumors=
would prolong Taz=92s life any. He did remove the entire spleen. He said =
due to the large size of it removing it would help him get around a little =
better and he said over three quarters of it looked diseased anyway. Taz h=
as been doing fairly well considering he lost his littermate two and a half=
weeks ago. In the last few days Taz seemed to be feeling a little better.=
He has a lot of trouble getting his hind legs under himself when he first =
wakes up but after about 10 minutes he gets around pretty well. Today when =
I went to take him out of the cage for his morning play time he was not doi=
ng well at all. I picked him up because he was not at the door with the oth=
ers waiting to get out. When I picked him up in my arms he just let his he=
ad roll to the side. I decided to clean him up a little (we use baby wipes=
to clean his belly and hind legs when he goes to the bathroom at night he =
is getting it on himself) after I had cleaned him all up I put him in front=
of a plate of ferretone he was not interested at all and tried to walk off=
. Because of the problems he has with his hind legs when he gets up he was =
not getting anywhere so I was holding his middle trying to follow him where=
he wanted to be he went back to the cage. I snuggled him a little and put =
him back in the cage but then he seemed to want back out so I picked him ba=
ck up then he was trying to get back in the cage again. I decided to just l=
eave him in his bed, and I went back to getting ready for work. I put the o=
thers away as usual before leaving for work. I always give them a treat whe=
n I put them in the cage. Taz couldn=92t find his even though it was right =
in front of him. I picked up his treat and tried to hand it to him and he b=
it my finger (not hard) it was like he couldn=92t see or smell the treat bu=
t new that it was time to get one. I am faced with not knowing if Taz is r=
eady to be put to sleep of if this was just a bad morning. Over the next f=
ew weeks and months will this be just part of his normal day. Or is this wh=
at to look for when it=92s close to time to let them go. Can anyone tell m=
e if it=92s time to let go? I talked to my vet about this right after his s=
urgery. He told me that when it was time I would just know. I am worried th=
at he may be suffering but I can=92t tell for sure if he is just tired or i=
f it is something more. I am very sorry to have written so much but I am tr=
ying to make it clear what is really going on with Taz. this is such a lar=
ge decision to make.
> Thank you in advance for any opinions
> Jen
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