well, it finally happened.  after six event-free months of
ferret-ownership, we had our first ferret-crisis.  what fun! (not.)
 
i was watching television on friday night with beaker and ehrl (not really
paying enough attention to them), and got up to get some chips from the
kitchen.  when i returned, beaker had disappeared.  (an uncommon
occurrence, as the apartment is pretty well ferret-proofed.)  a ten-minute
search found her on the third shelf of the bookshelf (about four feet off
the ground -- i still have no idea how she got there), munching contentedly
on a tube of phthalo blue acrylic paint.  at the sight of her beautiful fur
-- now an attractive shade of deep blue -- and her face all smeared with
the stuff, i freaked.  scooping her up, i ran into the kitchen and put her
under the faucet, trying to get as much of the paint off as possible.
(luckily acrylics are water-soluble, so she washed off easily)  by the time
i pried open her mouth to wash off her tongue, she was distinctly
unimpressed with me and doing her damndest to get away.
 
(an aside: i was supposed to go out to dinner with my parents that night --
they were supposed to pick me up about half an hour after the crisis
began.)
 
after i put her in her cage (with ehrl for company), i called the vet, then
the emergency animal hospital (it was after 6:00 pm and my vet wasn't in),
then the animal toxicology hotline (i have an 800 number for it, if anyone
would like it).  for $30, payable with any major credit card, they ran a
check on the ingredients (pure copper, phthalocyanine, and 100% pure
acrylic vehicle), and transferred me to a vet who told me that, depending
on the amount of paint beaker had actually ingested, i should expect
gastrointenstinal distress (diarrhea and vomiting) and i should try to get
some food or kaopectate into her stomach.
 
i hung up the phone, realized i had no kaopectate in the medicine cabinet
(and beaker wasn't interested in eating anything -- not even sugar cookies,
which she adores), and ran out the front door -- right into my father.  to
make a long story short, we got the kaopectate, and ten minutes later the
whole family was debating how to get the kaopectate into the ferret.  my
mother, ever the sensible one, said, "well, why don't we see if she likes
it?  get a spoon!"  a small spoon was found, and the medicine was
offered.....
 
and now beaker thinks that kaopectate is a special ferret treat -- even
better than sugar cookies!
 
we took her to dinner with us, because i wanted to make sure she was okay,
and by the end of the evening, she had a bowel movement.  it wasn't liquid,
and it wasn't mushy....  it was bright blue!
 
aside from being thoroughly pissed off at being caged all night, she seems
to be fine...  and as my father pointed out, "welcome to the joys of
parenthood."  and my tubes of paint are now locked up in a tackle box.
 
 
=============================================
 
jenny (and beaker and ehrl, who think they can eat ANYTHING)
 
"i bear more grudges
than lonely high court judges"                 -- Stephen Patrick Morrissey
 
"high court judges are asses."                 -- Jenny, who knows!
 
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[Posted in FML issue 0801]