>From:   Val Mascho <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: A Fuzzy  Story
>
>I got this in my email from my dad, I thought you all would  enjoy
>reading it :)

Hi Val ~

What a lovely story your Dad told. Loosing them is very hard. When I
was in Payson from 2005-2007 the local humane society called, and had 3
ferrets somebody had dropped off. So I went down to see them and give
them some advice. They were so cute and helpless laying wrapped around
each other in the bottom of a huge cage. Each one let me pick them up.
They were brought in as a trio so I adopted them as a trio. We lost the
first one in March of 2010 and the big brother just this past Monday.
The only symptom we had was hair loss but we sent in the blood test
and it was negative. Then he went through a period of time where the
hair grew back. Then in 48 hours before he died he went downhill so
fast...the vet had no idea what this was. We did an x-ray and saw the
tiny mass on his kidney. He never had a chance. His name was Bandit and
he was the "big brother." He always circulated beds at night to be sure
everyone was warm, was the last to the food dish, and would actually
herd his little sister when they ran. You see she was deaf. So unless
we had repeated x-rays there was no preparing for this. Yet my heart is
still broken for this giving ferret. Your Dad was right they are very
loving with personalities of their own. While the subject of autopsy
is still controversial, in this case it was such a mystery I gave my
permission. This is how the vet found the tiny killer. The tumor had
turned into a toxic site and will spilling toxins all through him. His
diagnoses was a fluctuating weight, hair loss off and on, and a bit
more fatigue than usual (but he was 10!) oh yes, and an unfailing love
for his cage mater and his mommy.

Warmly ~
Mary

[Posted in FML 6846]