From:
"lprimavera2000"
Date: 2011-08-27 06:06:17 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Zephyr (8 y/o with A/V node heart block and cardiomyopathy)
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hello original-poster and ferret-health followers,
I had an incident today very very much like this!! Watermelon, male fixed, 7yrs of age, presents with having had insolinoma for a year and one half, on pred. He no longer eats kibble, but rather a soup made with his ground kibble (evo) and chicken liver, five times a day or so, for 6 months now. Extremely lethargic, but manages to trollop around the house at his own pace a few times a day.
He had fallen asleep in the closet, after having eaten, and not twenty minutes later I am beyond startled to hear a bloody-murder-ferret-scream of sorts, like I have never imagined a ferret could produce. Surely, my neighbors ALL heard it. I ran to his side to see him moving his jaws around, screaming insanely every thirty seconds or so, flopping around a bit. He did not want to be touched. In fact, my usual gentle Watermelon made me terrified to touch him; on attempt, he would snap violently as he screamed. I didnt know what to do; I was scared for him; it was very traumatizing to see him this way. He had also had an accident all over himself (one of a few incidents in the last weeks). His screams were on and off for fifteen minutes as he lay in the same general area. Not interested an any soup, way too distracted to care. The screams were ear-piercing and extremely chaotic.
I grabbed a warm towel and grabbed him with it, as to protect my hands if he freaked out. Put him in the carrier and went to the vet. I thought, however heartbreaking, that it was his time, as I placed his stuffed-ferret buddy in the carrier with him. I had been contemplating his this decision for weeks now, questioning his quality of life, wondering if he was in pain. If only I had listened to my intuition initially, he wouldnt have had to suffer through this horrible attack, whatever it may have been.
We had to let him go at the vet; there were too many things going on, considering how sharply his health had declined from insolinoma, age, the bathroom accidents, and now these spasms and obvious burning pains, dazed eyes.
He hasnt been allowed "supplement/ferretone" in ages with the insolinoma, so when I finally got him to see me and focus his eyes on me, when I said goodbye, I let him eat a whole bunch of supplement, so as he could be in bliss in his last moments, tasting that sweet ferretone.
He was such a good boy. I had him for six years; I was petsitting him and his owners never returned. I will remember him, despite today, as the rotund, playful, and sweet-natured boy everyone loved. Still, this screeching was so scary, and I felt as helpless as he did; the cries were such that I could feel his pain. I would like to know more about what this was, whether it was related to the insolinoma or something to do with his heart. It was truly traumatizing.
[What you describe is an insulinomic seizure. The ferret is not conscious during this horrible episode, and so he would not have experienced pain. It is more traumatic for the witnesses than the ferret, however, it does cause brain injury. Some ferrets with advanced insulinoma have several of these frightening episodes. I am sorry for your loss and that you had to go through this traumatic experience. That was a kind and loving gesture to give him ferretone and have your comforting presence in his last moments. - Moderator (TD)]
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