Re: Blind, deaf ferret
 
I have a deaf cat at home who may be going blind too.  She doesn't seem
to be suffering, so putting her to sleep isn't really worthwhile yet.
Ferrets, even more than cats, seem to use nose and whiskers for navigation
and recognition, and don't have very good eyesight to begin with, from
what I've heard.  I used to have a hamster who was blind for most of
his life, and it didn't bother him at all.  It just seemed to keep him from
jumping farther than his whiskers could reach.
 
I'd say your ferret has excellent chances for a good life in his current
condition.  Treat him well, use a lot of tactile stimulus (though avoid
bothering his whiskers, which he needs more than usual), and expect that
he may nip, as he tries to use his mouth to explore to make up for the
lost senses.  I wouldn't recommend putting him to sleep, unless he gets
very lethargic, keeps having dangerous or painful accidents (even then,
I think rearranging things to avoid accidents would be better), or seems
to be in pain.
 
E.S.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0569]