Dear list,
We have had ferrets (one or two at a time) for 10 years.  I have been a
lurker for a couple of years now, though I try to respond with a little
financial help to other list members when I can, and now, its my turn to
have a broken heart.
 
I am writing for some input from you all to try and put some sense to
what happened to my big chocolate boy, Frankie, on Wednesday.  Frank came
with his cagemate Jesse to live with us two and a half years ago, from a
shelter close by.  He and Jesse are our fourth and fifth ferrets, and are
tattooed Marshalls.  Two weeks ago, Frank woke up with a terribly swollen
lip, which upon examination appeared to be draining blood and fluid.  I
bundled him up to our vet, who is an exotics specialist, recommended by
the vet school.  It appeared that Frank had a simple abscess, either bite
caused, or possible from a claw during play.  He was put on Amoxicillan
and seemed to be relieved immediately.  The abscess healed and he was his
old self, playing and mauling the other two with great abandon.  On the
following Wednesday, he vomited for no apparent reason, and assuming that
the antibiotic was making his stomach upset, I discontinued it.  He had
been on it six days, and I was quitting 1 day early.  The abscess was
completely healed.
 
Thursday he vomited again twice (from the stains) during the day while we
were at work.  Thursday night he seemed fine, ate well, voided normally,
and played (he was always a slug compared to the others) but on Friday
during the day he obviously began not to feel well, and though he ate,
was lethargic and vomited again.  (Friday is my vets day off) I gave him
hairball medicine, and took his temp which was normal.  Saturday morning,
he passed the hairball medicine, but his temperature was up and I bundled
him off to the vet.  He stayed there getting fluids, IV antibiotics, and
syringe feedings, while he steadily went down hill.  His temperature
stayed way up, and on Sunday he began to list to the right.  on Monday,
his right ear began to drain, and they changed his antibiotic to baytril.
On tuesday, there was no change, though his fever had broken.  Tuesday
night he became repiratorily distressed, and went into an incubator with
oxygen.  Wednesday morning, he was semi concious, unresponsive and rigid
to the right.
 
After holding him, and saying goodbye, his little body relaxed a
little, though the vacancy in his stare was torturous.  His breathing
relaxed a little, as I stroked him, and we gave the vet the ok to end
his suffering.  The Dr. was certain he could not recover, and he was
prelimanarily diagnosing bacterial meningitus from an inner ear
infection, though he said in his experience the inner ear of the ferret
is not ordinarily a site of concern.
 
I am sick at heart, he was only four, and his cagemate who is deaf, looks
and looks for him.  Has anyone else lost a baby to this kind of thing?  I
get accused of being vet happy, but it didn't help this time.
 
Thankyou for listening, and thankyou for any thoughts.
Nancy
[Posted in FML issue 3975]