From:
countryfire@email.com
Date: 2004-03-09 08:41:28 UTC
Subject: Ferrets-lymphosarcoma and vaccinations
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <30604342.1078862434626.JavaMail.nobody@vanadium.smartgroups.com>
I have seen some discussions about vaccinations. I can tell you that after the last
episode with one of my ferrets I won't get him any other vaccinations. He is not
exposed to many other people and is very laid back. He has a growth on his back
and when I can I will take him to the vet. The other ferrets will always have their
rabies and distemper shots separately. The vets I work with at [hospital name
removed as per the rules] Veternarian Clinic have agreed that they will only charge
for one office visit for the two separate shots. They know that I am one of the few
people in this town that are truly devoted to good health and preventive care for the
furries in my life. I think that is super of them.
Plus he always sells me the giant spray bottle of Frontline which is great for furries
and my two cats who are indoor/outdoor cats.
I feel that even though they are not "vet specialists" they are eager to learn new
things and have ordered new ferret illness books--I will have to find out later what
they are.
As to lymphosarcoma (are lymphoma and lymphosarcoma the same thing) my poor
little first ferret came down with this late in her life. The vet said that we could do
chemo etc, however the quality of her life would suffer. Unfortunately our little girl
was not able to play with other ferrets as she thought she was in heat all the time
(yes she was spayed) and her hormones went haywire. She bothered the boys until
they tried to kill her. After that she had to live by herself (her cagemates had
passed to the bridge.) However she lived for two years after that--my vets called
her the wonder ferret as no one had ever expected her to live that long. Poor little
naked girl and with a swollen vulva most of the time. We started her out on a
mixture of prednisone mixed with bubblegum flavor amoxil which made it taste so
great that she begged for it each time we went to the fridge.
We would usually gave it to her for a period of two weeks and then lay off for four
weeks--the vet just charged us $5 for each bottle. She ate her normal superior
choice from the ferret store
and was active until the day before she died. That day I noticed turmors on her
head and it seemed like they were turmors on top of tumors--must have been 10 in
all which just sprouted in the last 24 hours and that her hind legs became
paralyzed--why do these things happen at night--the next morning we took her in
to the vet and we all decided that she had fought the good fight and she would have
to cross the bridge and from her eyes we knew the sparkle had left. So you see the
diagnosis doesnt have to be a quick death notice. However we watch our ferrets for
any changes as most of us do.
[Discussion of prices for vet hospital employee deemed OT] They plan to get a
sonogram machine so I suppose the charges will increase accordingly.
There is another vet in town who is supposed to be qualified as an exotic specialist,
however I love this vet practice. Even though that vet may be qualified to do
everything but walk on water, we feel that the compassion this group shows is
worth a lot.
And please no flames. I know others have been nasty on the FML and that is why I
am hesitant to post these kinds of things there.