>Please, give your little ones a little extra loving in a tribute to
>Dezzie, a ferret that endured too much emotional pain and suffering
>before coming to join our family.
 
Troy Lynn, Dezzie was so lucky to have spent the final year of her life
with you.  If only all the little critters could have such loving and
caring homes!  I've recently come the realization that a year in a ferret's
life is equivalent to a decade in a human life, since they have so few
years with us.  So, Dezzie really spent her final decade with you, if you
look at it like that.
 
I've had to think a lot about this lately, since I suddenly seem to be
living with a housefull of geriatric ferrets.  It seems like yesterday that
they were all so young... Now, I have meds in the fridge, pill bottles on
the counter, more pill bottles falling out when I open my kitchen cabinet,
food supplements, you name it.  And they're all for the ferrets!
 
>And please, whatever you do with ferrets, only do what is best for them,
>not for any other reason.  Don't let another ferret suffer if you can
>help it.  Please...... please I beg of you.....
 
This last part of your post really gets to me, because I am now dealing
with a situation where I really have to keep asking myslef if I'm doing
what's best for my baby, and I really don't know.  I posted about Beuhler
a few days ago when he was diagnosed with inoperable tumors throughout his
little body.  He was sent home with a diuretic for the fluid build-up in
his chest and abdomen, which has helped, and he is breathing easier now
that there is less fluid around his lungs.  But his appetite has really
fallen off, and he is getting weaker.  He wants to come out to play with
the others, but only lasts a couple minutes before he is curling up for a
nap (usually under the Christmas tree - he has always liked Christmas
trees).  He is also on Prednisone, in the hopes that it might supress the
tumors, plus Pet -Tinic, a vitamin/mineral supplement.  And he is taking
Pepcid AC because his tummy is upset.  He actually likes the Pepcid, but
getting all the other meds into him is stressful.  I tried giving him
Prednisone in tablet form (this works best for my EE boy, Buckwheat, who
is doing very well, thankfully!).  But Beuhler hates taking the tablets,
so today I switched to Prednisone syrup, but that's just as distasteful to
him.  I've been making him a soupy mush out of his kibble, and he's eating
a little, but not enough.  I tried Ensure, and chicken baby food, but he
doesn't like those either, and I just don't want to FORCE another thing
into him.  Yesterday he was still enjoying his treats (raisins and
cranberries), but today he takes them and then drops them on the floor.  If
I could find something else that would soothe his nausea, perhaps he would
eat a little more and get some strength back (any suggestions?).  His whole
life these past few days seems to revolve around having meds forced into
him, and I am afraid that all the medicine he is taking is just making his
stomach feel worse, if only from the stress of giving to him.  So, what is
best for him?  Am I keeping him hanging on when I should let him go?  When
he's out exploring the house, even for a few minutes, I think, yes, he's
still enjoying life.  But then it's back to sleep, and another round of
meds...
 
Nancy and critters
[Posted in FML issue 3269]