So Sorry Frances to hear about your ferret, I also ended up taking my
Seven year old Ashes and my Nine year old Snuggles to the vet to send
them on to Rainbow Bridge yesterday.
 
I knew the time was coming both Ashes and Snuggles have been going down
hill even more in the past few weeks.  It had come to the point that I
was having to syringe feed Ashes everyday and he hated being syringe
fed.  Snuggles was still eating on his own, but that was all he could do
was eat and sleep.  He had become very incontinent.  He had rear end
weakness-numbness caused from Insulinoma.  Snuggles had been on pred
for the past 5 years at a very low dose until just the past couple
months I had him up to 1cc of Pred per meal.  Ashes also was on pred for
insulinoma but had started to have small seizures caused again from
insulinoma and I discovered just this past week he also had mouth ulcers,
which I didn't know about.
 
By the time we got to the vet Ashes was almost gone.  In the end Ashes
died before the vet gave him the shot, but Snuggles had to be given the
first shot to put him to sleep, that was all it took and he also passed
on to Rainbow Bridge.
 
I am sure Cinnamon Bear and Snickerdoodles was right there as they
entered the Bridge, since they also were new comers to the Bridge.
Snickerdoodles was 5 years old and died about 3 weeks ago from Lymphoma
and his kidneys were shutting down.  Cinnamon Bear was 7 and also died
because of insulinoma problems.  Both Ashes and Snuggles, Cinnamon Bear
all were best of friends.  The only one left from that cage now is Bennie
Bear my foster ferret that has the huge Osteoma on his lower jaw.  I will
now have to try and find some new friends for him.  Hopefully, Lucky,
Valentino and Crickett will accept him and won't hurt him.
 
I now only have three more of my orginally ferrets left.  Crickett, my
little Panda (DEW), Mocha Bandit, and Fudge.  All three of them are also
7 years old.  So far they are competely health and no problems.  Then the
rest here are from 5 years old to 1 years old.
 
All the above ferrets were orginally from Breeders and none were neutered
at a early age.  I do now have some Marshall Farm ferrets that I rescued
that are 5 years old.  Valentino, Lucky, Sassy, and Balou are all going
on 5 years old and all have the beginning signs of Adrenal.  Sassy and
Balou have been on Lupron for the past year and have been involved with
the Washington Ferret Rescue and Shelter adrenal study that Dr. Cathy
Johnson Delaney has been doing monthly.
 
As for Valentino and Lucky, they are just beginning to show slight fur
lost on their tummy, it may be only shedding but I just have that feeling
its adrenal.
 
Well got to get back to ferret duties, hope today is a bright day for
everyone!  Too many ferret crossing overs going on right now.
 
As for Washington News.  10,000 mink were let loose at a Mink Farm
yesterday, almost all of them have been caught.  All news channels were
talking about it yesterday and today.
 
Char and the Washington Tails
[Posted in FML issue 4252]