Hello again - Now comes Tiger Lilly.
 
Tiger Lilly - also known as Her Grace, The Princess Tiger Lilly, is also a
rescue.  Age and origin unknown - although she is approximately 4 years old
and suspect she comes from Path Valley.  She is also a rescue who came and
stayed.  Actually, she came and promptly took over the place and despite the
fact that she was an early neuter (quite young when she came to us) she runs
the place and will not give up spot to whole jills, all of whom think they
are the "alpha jill".  They frequenly squabble about this among themselves,
but pretty much do not bother The Royal.  Many have received letters from
Princess Tiger Lilly who thinks she is the reincarnation of Queen Victoria.
 
Saturday, a week ago, I picked up Tiger Lilly and noted that she was nothing
but a bony ferret under all her shiny fur.  Immediately alarmed, she too was
isolated in hospital cage and I contacted her vet.  She was not having bowel
movements and I suspected we had at last located where the pieces of that
toy went.  Exploratory laparotomy was scheduled for Monday a.m. Tiger Lilly
was hard to maintain over Sunday and going into Monday.  She fought with
vengence any oral fluid and so was sustained by sub-q lactated Ringer's
until surgery.
 
Second horrible Monday in a row, and again a Veterinarian's nightmare.  And
again a very long time in surgery.  I was very worried - Tiger Lilly -
always petitie was just under a pound going into surgery.
 
What her vet found was hemorrhagic pancreatitis - poetentially deadly.  She
did have a blockage, but it wasn't the toy - it was a carrot.  Over a week
before this occured, I had missed a carrot stick from my lunch plate and
could not find it.  Did not think any ferret would eat the whole thing.
Wrong.  Her stomach was greatly distended by gas from the fermenting carrot
which had also blocked the intestinal tract (ferrets cannot burp gas).  This
set up the scenario for the hemorrhaging pancreas.  A lymph note was also
very enlarged and virtually fell to pieces as it was removed.  Also, the
left adreanal showed adenoma as so it too was removed.
 
As her vet said - ingesting the carrot really "ticked off" her pancreas.
Tiger Lilly had "garbage belly".  Again, we had another case of
a-symotomatic adreanal disease as well!  Tiger Lilly showed absolutely no
signs - no enlarged labia, alopecia - in fact her coat was marvelous, no
fatty "saddle bags", no skin changes; in other words, no reason to suspect
adrenal disease - yet the adreanal was enlarged - adenoma with some necrotic
area.
 
Tiger Lilly was given about a 50% chance to survive.  I took her home and
again, as with Pepper, went around the clock for the next 48 hours with her.
She could have nothing oral for 48 hours to give her pancreas a chance to
heal and so I injected sub-q fluids every 4 hours round the clock.  She was
also on injectible antibiotics.  Poor baby.  She was very, very weak and
unable to maintain her body temperature and this was the most difficult part
in helping her as I had to constantly adjust the heat pad.  She was also too
weak to move and so I had to watch her for any indication she wanted to use
the litter box - and hold her so she could.  Miracles do happen.  Tiger
Lilly made it past the 48 hours and when I offered her water - she drank.
This was a good sign - it meant she was felt like taking something oral.
Later that day I had to leave for about 8 hours and so left her with a bowl
of food just in case she felt like eating a few pieces.  I came home to find
nothing but crumbs in the bowl!  At first I freaked - she ate too much and I
thought we might have to go in and get the Totally Ferret.  However, since
then she is making a speedy recovery and is gaining weight.  A miracle which
I attribute to the care from her vet and her skill as a surgeon.
 
And, herein lies about the best example I can give for not giving your
ferret veggies.  They simply cannot digest them, and a blockage is apt to
occur.  So all the stories and advice you have been given is true -- Tiger
Lilly's theft of a carrot stick nearly cost her life.  And, needless to say,
no carrot sticks will be anywhere a ferret might flich one again.  And, we
still don't know where the pieces of that darned toy went - but we are
definitely not up to another emergency Monday.  Also, two examples in one
week of adrenal disease with no outward symptoms.  The best advice I can
give is to have your ferret checked regularly by your Veterinarian and
please do not wait on anything you suspect might be wrong.
 
As I write these words, Pepper has wandered off and Tiger Lilly just raced
for the litter box in the bathroom - a sight that makes me smile.  Thank
you, Ferret Gods!  Cheers to all and hugs to your fuzzies - Meg
[Posted in FML issue 1847]