Yesterday, I took my 5 year old female ferret, Mini-Me, to the vet to
have her second adrenal gland debulked, and about an hour later, I got a
call from the vets office informing me that she was dying, before any of
the surgery was to be performed.  I raced to the vet but she was gone
before I got there.  She was full weight when I brought her in, and had
been normally active at all times (at least her activity level for the
last year - always curious and sometimes playful), though her coat was
thin on her tail and had a quarter size bald spot on her rump.  According
to the vet, he was pleased with her condition and thought she was an
excellent candidate for surgery when he examined her after I left and
drew blood for testing, however, her blood sugar was somewhat low (she
had fasted eight hours in preparation for the surgery?), then within an
hour later, his assistant alerted him that Mini was salavating and the
vet begain administering oxygen and, well, and several other things but
I was so shocked that I am not sure what else he said they tried.  The
vet added that he thought he might have felt some lymph enlargement, but
was not certain on that point.  He offered to do a post mortem, but I
declined, perferring at this point not to bother Mini anymore.
 
So, I don't know what to think.  The vet, not particularly well known to
me, is an exotic pet specialist and seems to be an extremely concerned,
well-meaning, fellow animal lover.  Actually, I am sure about that.  He
was the only vet I could find in the Oklahoma City area willing to do a
debulking, and I was very happy to find someone that was willing to at
least try to help her.  Was it the shock of being left in such a strange
place with strange people and scary smells (but, of course, she had many
dozens of vet visits in her brief five year life)and her condition so
fragile but unnoticed by me that it was too much for her?
 
She is gone, and nothing can be done, of course.  It is just such a
shock.
[Posted in FML issue 5028]