My beautiful Albino boy Sneaky crossed to the bridge today at 12:45 CT.
Last night when I put him to bed he was a bit lethargic but I had just
picked him up as he was asleep to put him in his hammock and he's usually
a little dazed when I do that.  This morning when I went in to get them up
and start the FurBrats morning routine, he was at the bottom of the cage
totally dazed and confused.  I picked him up and he was just out of it and
making little mueling noises, his belly was tender and distended and his
body temperature was low.  I called the vet and he said he was on his way
to another call but he would call me when he was on his way back to the
office and he would meet me there.  I put Sneaky in his little bed and put
a heating pad under him to keep him warm and held him in my lap to wait for
the vets call.  He started to crash and I held him in my arms, he gave a
few little sighs and slipped away peacfully to go to the bridge.  The Vet
called about 10 minutes later to say he was on his way back to the office
and I told him Sneaky had just died.
 
I wanted to find out why he had died so the Vet told me to bring him in and
we would see if we could find an answer.  I wrapped him in his comfy towel
and my best friend drove us in.  I stood with the vet and stroked Sneaky's
head as he did the autopsy.  He died of a ruptured liver due to liver
disease that he was diagnosed with about a year ago.His little belly was
full of blood.  There would have been nothing I or the vet could have done
to save him.  I kinda had the feeling it was his liver but I wanted to be
sure that it was not something else that would effect the other FurKids.
Sneaky was living on borrowed time and I'm glad I had the time with him
that I did, You see, Sneaky was my first FurKid, I had him for 4 and a
half years.  At the time I got him I was a truck driver for a major moving
company and one of my shippers that I as moving from Orlando to California
did'nt want him anymore and was going to leave him in her empty apartment
so I told her I would take him.  I did'nt know a thing about ferrets then
but I learned quickly and Sneaky joined me and my husband on the road.  He
was a well traveled ferret and has been all over the United States.  He was
soon joined by his new brother Bandit and six months later Diggy joined the
crew then came Misty and Patch.  The five of them had a big cage that we
had built into our sleeper and travelled the country with us.  When I got
hurt two years ago, me and the FurKids retired from the road and settled
comfortably in our new home.  Eventually, Scooty, Buster, Stymie and Mickey
joined the business and everybody got along great.  Sneaky was still the
grand old man of the biz and the rest of the gang always deferred to him.
He will be sorely missed by me and his seven brothers and one sister.  Rest
in peace Sneaky Man and someday we'll all be together again.
 
We love You,
Linda, Bandit, Diggy, Patch, Misty, Scooty, Buster, Stymie, Mickey and your
Great Dane Brothers, Merlin and Monty
[Posted in FML issue 2995]