On 8/3/04 our story unfolds w/17 unneutered, unvaccinated, unsocialized,
ferrets transferred to FERRET BUSINESS of GA from Morehouse School of
Medicine - Center for Laboratory Animal Resources, due to their loss of
funding.  Sadly, & despite all our best efforts, Boy Named Sue, Mario,
Hector, & Lawrence succumbed to "shelter shock" (compounded by adrenal
disease & insulinoma), Florence didn't recover from spay surgery, & Mary
Ann had a tumor displacing several major organs.
 
Thanks to everyone's generosity, all of the Morehouse class were
spayed/neutered, vaccinated, provided needed veterinary care &
medication, & had much needed dental cleanings.  They were spoiled w/all
of the treats, bedding, & TOYS too.  Local FERRET BUSINESS of GA
volunteers additionally provided help w/the day-to-day care,
transportation, force feedings, nursing, & socialization at a time when
they were just about completely unhandleable.  There's no way I would
have been able to adequately care for them w/out everyone's support,
even if they hadn't needed the individual nursing.  I couldn't be more
thankful for the kindness everyone has shown.
 
I'm happy to tell you that most of the heartache & frustration we've had
to deal with is a thing of the past.  They have recovered from shelter
shock, thanks to the rigorous nursing care from our volunteers.  They've
learned how to drink out of water bottles & are happily munching away on
a variety mix of premium foods.  They've also become treats hounds -
Friskies Dental Diet is their favorite.
 
They have all been neutered.  We chose not to have them descented, but
it's only on a rare occasion that there's any hint of that.  Of the
surviving 11, 5 of the boys & 3 of the girls have been diagnosed with
mild insulinoma & are stable & active.  They have no problem taking their
meds.  Twice daily they eagerly dive into their chicken gravy/Science
Diet A/D/Iams Maximum Calorie mixture containing 1 mg prednisone.  Only
our little princess Ivey is adrenal.
 
They've come a long way from being terrified & savagely biting, from the
point that they couldn't be handled w/out protective gloves, & now love
being held & played with.  Their individual personalities have blossomed
& they are acting like the average pet ferret we all love, despite being
completely devoid of sensory stimulation their entire lives.
 
The most wonderful outcome to the Morehouse story is that Yvonne, &
Margaret & Denny have been adopted.  As wonderful as the rest of them
are, I don't hold too much hope that any of the remaining 8 will ever be
adopted because of their medical concerns.  It's a shame too, because
they've overcome so much & are the poster children of ferrets.  Had they
been human, they probably would have needed years of therapy or been
institutionalized after their ordeal.  But instead they're loving life
despite all that life has denied them.
 
RIP Boy Named Sue, Mario, Hector, Lawrence, Florence, & Mary Ann
 
Gratefully,
 
Juliana Quadrozzi
FERRET BUSINESS of GA
www.ferretbusiness.petfinder.com
770-984-1417 7pm-10:30pm
 
P.S. Sukie, I'll address your post tomorrow.
[Posted in FML issue 4720]