Has anyone experienced a fairly quick death in a ferret that was older
and less healthy after being given lupron? Our hospice shelter director
said she has seen this happen maybe 4 other times. What would of been
another option for me? He was still eating, drinking, peeing, and
pooping to the end.

Dudley was given to me maybe in 2005, and was supposed to be 2 or 3
years old at that time. So guess that would make him around 8-9 years
old. He had been on lupron for at least 2 years. As i ran out of lupron
in February, he didn't get his injections in March, April,or May, so
last week he was taken to the vet to get an injection.

He wasn't in the best of health and was having problems making it to
the box in time. Many times he never made it out of bed before going,
and this was getting worse. Generally he never acted as though he felt
bad, but was just getting old. He ate VERY well, both chicken gravy and
totally ferret. Because of the cancer, he ate all the time, but never
gained weight.

Last Monday, Dudley was taken in to the vet for an injection of lupron.
Afterwards he was still bright eyed and had an appetite and drank. On
Tuesday, before I put him to bed, I noticed there red chafing on his
legs and bottom. I soaked him in warm water with baby night time bath
and put on some cortaid. On Wednesday morning, he woke, not any worse,
but very red and was getting VERY, VERY thin. I bathed him and added
cortaid and some vaseline, but had to go to work. In the meantime, I
spoke with Anita (the Angel) who offered to take Dudley in to her
Hospice on Thursday, until Friday evening, when I would take him back,
for the weekend. He was still eating and drinking and think Anita got
the red to go away, but still losing weight. Friday morning he was
still eating and drinking and was alert and then in the afternoon had
a very large poop, that was dark, He later had a couple of more poops
that were very dark and he no longer had bright eyes. With my
permission, Anita took Dudley in for his last vet visit, as he had
been through enough. We had already decided quality of life and pain
were the determining factors. .

The Rainbow Bridge has just gained another Angel, by the name of
Dudley, who was so sweet, brave and strong. Dudley is now with his
original cage mate, Kringle, and all the others he had met in his
journey of life. He's already missed by my husband & me and my
granddaughter, Madison, and our dog, Duncan, who would paw at and
wag his tail when he sniffed Dudley

Thanks for any answers anyone might have.

Connie Yeager

[Posted in FML 7106]