From:
jadeblasio@aol.com
Date: 2009-03-09 00:06:37 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] My Lucas is gone now too.....
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, MetroFerret@yahoogroups.com, ST_Members@yahoogroups.com, oscarleal@comcast.net, betsytoguchi@yahoo.com, Grambler70@aol.com, Sheryl81@aol.com, 2ferret@optonline.net, anderl@optonline.net, jayle@optonline.net, chrisozz@hotmail.com, cheri1103@netzero.net, jrickard@hickorytravelsystems.com
[Reminder to those who want to send Judy a sympathy
message: Please, send them directly to her instead of
to the list to avoid a rejection. -- Mod]
I cannot believe that on Tuesday, I helped Perl to find peace..... to only
have to do the same for my Lucas just three short days after..........
My Lucas also came to me at first as his baby-sitter. He was exceptionally
attached to his owner/mommy Betsy. To see the two of them together..... the
gaze they had in their eyes for each other, was nothing short of pure love.
You see....Lucas had a purpose, he had rescued Betsy... he was obtained
from a petstore by Patricia specifically because Betsy was suffering from a
horrible bout of depression. His job was to pull her out of it. It did not take
long for Lucas to do his job and rescue Betsy w/his ferrety ways from her
darkest depths of despair. From that point forward Lucas and Besty were
utterly bonded.
Lucas was Betsy's first ferret, and she dowded on him like a new mother with
her first born.... Needless to say, she spoiled him.... Lucas was a King
in his world, and he knew it! Because of the very special care he
received...Lucas knew he was special.... He was a large, beautiful, light sable male...
with long, almost angora like fur.
I used to tell him all the time that he had Long "ROCK STAR Hair"....this
made him VERY happy, because since he was a little boy...he always knew he was a
Star.
When Betsy had to return to her country.... she turned him and his brothers
and sister (Perla) over to me, and I became his new mom. He had already
spent alot of time with me, and had known me all of his life, so being with me
was like a home away from home.
Lucas NEVER slept. He was always awake, always aware of everything that was
going on, and always in charge... I called him my little detective.
Nothing got passed Lucas. He owned all the toys in the room....and if he heard the
slightest squeak...he'd come running to snatch his toy back, and run off
with it in his little mouth. He was a happy boy, fat and sassy, and very snugly.
As I would work or do my homework.... Lucas would lay in his bed right next
to me...all stretched out like a super hero flying in the sky... I used to
tell him he was my co-pilot.... he was forever by my side....
About two years ago.... Lucas went to a vet other than his own for an ultra
sound... The traveling tech slipped and cut his stomach clear open from top
to bottom... it took surgical glue to close his wound. From this he
developed an ulcer...and his mommy Judy had to feed him by hand....
Since his mom was in school, working and interning....she did not have the
time to wean him off of his feedings, and allowed him to continue to eat by
hand.... being the spoiled boy he was, he hate this way for the rest of his
life span... Everyday at 7a, 12p, 6p, and 11p...mom and Lucas would sit
together and chat as he ate from a spoon while sitting on her lap.... It was a very
special time for Mom and Lucas, and his Mom felt he had earned the extra
care....
Lucas was a meticulously clean ferret, and everyday after each feeding, mom
would place him down on a towel and tell Lucas to whipe his facey....
Lucas would go to town and clean his face spic and span... at night, mom
would also say...."take bathey Lukey" and Lucas would lick his paws and clean
his entire face like nobody's business....he was such a clean boy......
Last Sunday after work.... mom noticed that Lucas was not right...
He was staring infront of his cage and was falling over..... mom
immediately checked his sugar, it was 62, however it was time for his prednisilone and
it had been 12hrs since his last dose and 5hrs since his last snack... mom
did not think his reading was that bad.... Mom followed with sugar water,
baby food and some sub Q.....waited 30min and rechecked his sugar...it was 74.
However, Lucas was no better...as a matter of fact he was worse...wheezing
and crying with every breathe. Mom rushed him to an after hours emergency
that saw ferrets....it was diagnosed there that he had cardiomyopahty..and he
was placed on oxygen and started meds.
The next day mom was advised he was doing well, and that he could come home
Tuesday. However, when mom picked him up he was not ok... he was grinding
nonstop, shivering, and refusing to eat... Mom pulled him out and rushed him
to a ferret knowledgeable vet tech.....who cared for him for the next couple
of days...
Lucas was given pepcid, carafate, prilosec...but nothing worked to stop his
grinding, and he had been reduced to force feedings with ensure..... on
Friday he returned to his normal vet, who was waiting for his ultra sound/xrays
to come from the vet that saw him on an emergency....
It was discovered he had (and I am not sure of the name) but his intestine
had gone inside of itself....
He was prepped for surgery...and his mom was advised that he had a 10%
chance of living thru being put under.... Mom was advised to hold him, sit with
him, and say goodbye......
Mom begged Lucas to be strong, hold on, and come back to her....she told him
that she needed him.... Mom also told him..in the event he choose to
go...Perla would be there waiting for him.... then Mom handed her baby over for
surgery...
Once opened, the vet called mom into the operating room.... he was
horrified by what he found...
My lilttle Lucas was FILLED with feces in his abdomen, the intestine had
gone inside of itself as expected....and he had a VERY LARGE perferatation in
his intestinal wall. There was no recovery from this.... and mom was advised
to let him go.
Lucas's mom layed her hand on his neck,which was extended with a breathing
tube in his throat, as she did this....she gave the vet permission to let him
go... Laying her hand on his neck she said..... Mommy's here Lukey"
She kept her hand there, while the Dr, who had fought so hard for him,
placed the medicine in his catheter and they stood together listening while his
heart monitor slowly stopped beating.....
Lucas.... please forgive me....I could not subject you to the pain you would
have experienced if you were allowed to wake. There would be no recovery
Lukey...and only suffering......
Today baby..... Mommy got her break from work at 12pm.... but you were not
there to feed, you were not there to chat with.... for the first time in
2yrs years....You were not there......
My sweet little King..... Mommy's "ROCK STAR"....I miss you so.
Rest well my baby, until we can be together again.....
Mommy Loves You Lucas Franklin...for always and forever....
I love you.
[Reminder to those who want to send Judy a sympathy
message: Please, send them directly to her instead of
to the list to avoid a rejection. -- Mod]
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