Stanley is sleeping now, he had a tough day.  Don't cringe, this isn't a
vet visit gone bad story.  This is more of a humorous tale.
 
Stan, my new rescue from Kista, went for his neutering today.... The day
started off to a bad start when I saw the vet had his chart labeled as
"Stinky Stanley".  I told them I was kidding when I said that was what we
were calling him ---" Please his name is just Stanley - plus after the
surgery he won't be Stinky any more right?" They said "We thought you
weren't having him descented".  I replied, "No, no, just neutering, the
smell won't be much after he's castrated from what everyone has told me".
The receptionists & techs all laughed at me.
 
There are 3 vets in the practice where I take my gang.  The senior partner
is the only one who has been practicing long enough to have ever seen a
whole ferret.  Apparently in NJ, it is illegal for someone without a
breeders license to have a whole ferret.  (One of the NJ folks on the list
could probably say when the law was changed.)  The vet I usually see is the
small animal specialist of the practice, but even he hasn't neutered a
ferret since being out of school.  Last but not least, is a female vet who
seems not to have much of a bed side manner for my taste.  She was the
intake person Stan and I saw this morning.  When she saw the size of Stan,
4 1/2 pounds, she said "Wow, how long have you had him?".  I didn't really
understand the question.  When she later asked if I had cut his nails
myself, I realized that she thought that a ferret this big couldn't be
gentle enough to sit while I cut his nails.  (I actually didn't do his
nails yet - Kim did them before we left and they are still very short).
 
The pick up this afternoon was even more comical.  They know me at the vets
office because I am in 2-3 times a month to pick up meds for our 14 1/2
year old Golden Retriever.  The receptionist just looked up and laughed.
The lead vet tech said "How can you stand him"?  I couldn't figure WHAT
they were talking about.  Well, to make a long story short, Stan poofed a
bit when they were trying to anesthetize him for the surgery.  Everyone if
the office was giving me looks and laughing.  My favorite regular vet came
in to the waiting room.  When he saw me he said I met, or should I say,
smelled, your new addition.  I kept telling everyone... He doesn't do this
at home.
 
Well when a tech came in to the waiting room and asked for "Stinky's
owner".  I had to laugh.  "Its Stanley, It's Stanley", I protested!  Then
came the nice part.  They brought Stan in to the exam room to me, in the
carrier.  I opened the door and he just stuck his head out and laid his
chin on my hand... The Sr.  vet came in to talk to me about the surgery.
He said that he had never met an older, whole ferret.  He had always
read that they were more aggressive.  He couldn't believe how gentle Stan
was --- the most mellow ferret he's ever met to quote him!  Stan is still
a little groggy from the anesthesia but he had some water and is sleeping
comfortably in his hammock.
 
Thanks SO much to Kim from KiSta for caring for this guy for so many
months.  I am so lucky to have been at the right place at the right time.
I certainly didn't expect to come home with a ferret when I went to KiSta
to help clean cages after the NJ Xmas rescue.  I'm just so lucky that
Stanley had the sense to talk me into taking him home!
 
______________________________________________________________
Kristeen, JT,
Katie, Matt,
Al & Stanley
[Posted in FML issue 3292]