De-Lurk in progress.....
 
Hi,
I have been very quiet for a long time.  I just wanted to tell you all of an
article in Reader's Digest which mentions a ferret.  The article is in the
March 1997 issue and is titled "My Four-Legged Partner in Healing".  It is
about a golden retriever who helped a vet with various animals at his
clinic.  The article mentions a ferret that came into the clinic suffering
from liver disease caused by the owner keeping the ferret in mothballs to
control the odor.  The article (I have yet to read it in its entirity, I was
too excited to get it to the FML) seem to be a very good one and the author
does say, "Ferrets can make wonderful pets...." He then goes on to say they
can be nippy and do have an odor.  But, all-in-all, it looks like an
interesting article.
 
On a sadder note, one of my rescue ferrets, Blackjack, has had a tumor
removed and the tumor has been diagnosed as sweat gland adenocarcinoma.  The
pathology lab said that it is locally agressive and gave Blackjack a guarded
prognosis (one step above poor).  I have been told the tumor will likely
grow back and once it does he will likely not live too much longer.  If
anyone out there has any advice on what I can do to help prolong his life or
at least keep his remaining days as pain-free as possible, I would
appriciate the help.  Blackjack is 6 years old and just had adrenal surgery
last November.  His fur has all grown back and he is so healthy looking that
the vet swears that if she didn't know better, she would suspect I had
switched ferrets on her!  ;-)
 
Blackjack doesn't get around much.  He is slow and likes to sleep alot.  He
is very sweet and will ocassionally come to me for treats.  When I first got
him, he not only had the adrenal disease, but the transition caused him so
much stress that he stopped eating asnd drinking.  My vet at the time (I now
go to his original vet) basically told me there was nothing I could do and
that he was too far gone.  Well, thanks to Kelleen's invaluable assistance
and support, both he and his brother, Noodle, survived.  I hate to think
that after all this he is doomed to succumb to a tumor.  He is a real
trooper and will even let me sub-Q him without help (but he does require a
ferretone bribe<g>).
 
Well, thanks for letting me ramble here.  I just would like any
info/advice/support I can get for the little guy.  He is such a fighter.
 
Dooks to all,
 
****************************************************
*    David Caudill ----  [log in to unmask]       *
*F.A.N.G. - Ferret Association of Neverending Glee *
*    Ste 778  3929 Overland                        *
*    Boise, Idaho  83705                           *
****************************************************
Famous Last Words in Role Playing Games's: #158
"Hey, where'd all the big spiders come from?"
[Posted in FML issue 1842]