It's with a very heavy heart that I tell you we had to have George put to
sleep last night.  Right around Thanksgiving we noticed that he had lumps
popping up on his skin.  Some of these got larger than a half dollar.  We
took him to the vet where she believed they were mast cell tumors gone
berserk.  During this time he also was having trouble pooping.  We gave
him a cortisone shot and put him on Benedryl, Pred, Cimetidine, and
Carafate.  Within a few days he was pooping again and with the benedryl
and pred the lumps were starting to go down.  A couple weeks later all
but two lumps were gone.  We needed a refill on pred and it seemed like
after we started him back on it the lumps reappeared.  Friday he had
trouble pooping again and Saturday I started to suspect that he wasn't
able to pee either.  He'd just dribble a little and it was only on his
body not in the litterbox or on paper.
 
So off to the vet we went last night.  She palpated him and said that he
had lumps on his bladder and that his bladder was blocked.  She explained
that she thought the lymphnodes in his back were so swollen they were
pressing on his already swollen bladder, leaving little room for his
intestines and leaving him with the inability to poop.  We had three
options, she could drain his bladder which would've been difficult and
might only give him 18 hours before it filled back up and we were in the
same situation.  Or we could drain his bladder and do chemo, which might
buy him a couple more months.  Or we could put him down.
 
The latter seemed kinder.  Our boy had started to cry while trying to
potty and while at the vets he started to cry while we held him.  It
broke my heart to have to say goodbye, but I know we did the right thing
by ending his suffering.
 
George had been with us for just under 2 years and was approx. 4.5.  He
was a rescue that took a chunk out of my hand upon first meeting and a
chunk out of my heart when he left this world.  He'll be welcomed at the
bridge by Dweezil, a sweet little sable girl, and Opie a dopey chocolate
boy.  George was fond of cheerios and ferretone and was probably the only
ferret that could tolerate my singing.
 
**I'll miss you my sweet boy.  I love you and I'm sorry we couldn't do
more, Georgie.  --Love, Mommy and Daddy**
 
Holly and Jason
[Posted in FML issue 4386]