My husband and i have been 'doing' ferret hospice and rescue for 20
years. we were so lucky to have Dr. Tony, a supportive, caring, and
teachable vet for our ferrets, when the quality was gone, and
medications no longer were effective, be it age, lymphoma,reoccurring
adrenal. He always allowed me to hold our baby, and not a one responded
in a negative way to the tummy shot. If they were still able to enjoy
one last lick of ferretvite, that was the last thought they had as they
passed over the rainbow bridge.. "yum.yum, yum..." then asleep, then
their little spirits left. Tony always left his stethoscope for me (I
rarely remembered to bring mine), and I waited, crying, n cuddling
until they appeared gone, then before leaving, would make sure they
had no heartbeat. No gas, no cardiac stick, no trauma of attempts to
find a vein, and no final moments of being with a stranger... just
mama, and sometimes papa if he was emotionally able to be in the room.

Was it hard to hold them as they died? oh yeah, but every one of them
deserved our love to the end. Have I cried with every one? yes, but it
would have been harder to watch them struggle with life, and confusion,
and pain to eke out a few more days, or weeks just because we could not
bear to lose them. The tummy shot seemed (and still does) to be the
kindest and gentlest way to allow them the comfort of release from a
body that no longer, and will never enjoy the dook.

[Posted in FML 7371]