This posting is about the report I received in the mail on Oki's history
with his former vet.  I believe that not only was Oki's former owner Anne
neglegent in her responsibilities as an owner, but I believe that Links was
neglegent in its care of Oki.  I hold Anne and Links directly responsible
for the death of my beloved ferret BUT I am going to copy some of the
highlights into this posting and let all of you decide for yourselves...this
is copied directly from the report I received from Links and is in no way
embelished.  This clinic is supposed to specialize in exotics and quite
frankly this scares me.
 
Item 1 ( and the most blantant)
4/8/98 Oki has a BLUE/BLACK SPOT on the left ear which has not become
larger.  Owner will monitor.  (it is his breeders tatto...even newbies
like us knew that)
 
Oki was born 12/1/93 according to them.  His history of weight went as
follows:
6/14/94  1600 grams
4/13/96  1280 grams
4/27/96  1246 grams
4/22/97  1350 grams
4/08/98  1253 grams
6/14/94 Oki was descented and fixed.
6/22/94 Owner noticed "blood" near prepuce this am.  Was found shaking and
biting at blankets.  Owner was not aware that the penis remains intact after
a castration.  After further consult owner believes she saw an exposed penis
and the other signs may have been behavourial aggression.
4/27/96 Owner says ferret vomits after the vaccinations.
10/4/96 Ferret has a fractured right hind leg.  Got it caught in the cage
last night.  Can feel crepitus.
10/5/96 Proximal right tibia is fractured with 2 or 3 big fragments or
chips in the proximal end just below the stifle.  Will need to be pinned.
10/7/96 Foot is extremely swollen and seems to be splitting between the toes.
11/11/96 The owner has noticed a smell from the ferret 3 days now.  there is
a rotting putride smell from the bandage.  took off the bandage and there is
puss at the top of the bandage around the pin. the bandage is SOAKED with
water/urine?
4/8/98 benadryl ferret vomited.  mildly enlarged spleen.  fur loss on the
tail.  owner feels the furloss is seasonal.  left canine broken to the pulp.
gum is enlarged over the tooth.
4/22/98 benadryl and vaccines and ferret vomited.
They also made a note that Oki was a biter and aggressive.
 
If you read my other posting you will remember that the fracture in Oki's
leg never healed properly and that Oki came to us with the broken canine
which had to be removed.  He could not eat.  I am frightened by the thought
of how long he spent with a broken leg before anyone in that house noticed,
as Oki lived in the basement and was never let out.  I also wonder how long
he had the broken canine as the only reason Anne took him in was to get his
shots because FAST would not take him without them.  He must have broken it
trying to get out of his cage.  When we picked him up Anne gave us 3 locks
for the door of Oki's cage because she said he always tried to get out.  In
all the time Oki was with us he never bit us even with the forced feedings
and the yucky meds and never showed any signs of aggression nor did he try
to bust out of his cage (maybe because he was actually getting out so did
not mind going back).
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Cindy and Doug and Footsie
missing Oki
[Posted in FML issue 2292]