>From:    "Masterson, Nancy" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Sick Ferret
[SNIP - Finding of an adrenal tumor in little Nick]
>If anyone has any advice, or if you have a ferret who's come through this
>sort of thing with flying colors, please let me know!  Many thanks, and
>please say an extra prayer for Nick on Thursday, if you can.
 
Hi, Nancy!  All the best for little Nick!
 
Our Squirt had adrenal surgery to remove his left adrenal gland in the fall
of 1996 when he was 3.5 years old.  Eventhough the surgery went very well,
he sure looked like hell when Kim, my wife, picked him up at the vet's a
couple of days later.  But, he was *VERY* happy to see her to say the least!
He was also *VERY* happy to be in the car on his way home too!
 
Kim took the day off from work when she brought him home.  Squirt slept
almost the entire day, and Kim had to hand feed him.  He was only willing to
take in liquids his first day and night home.  He slept that entire night as
well.
 
I took the next day off from work, and Squirt again slept all day long.  I
had to hand feed him, but by the end of the day I was able to get him to eat
some warmed up soft food along with the liquids.  That night was pretty much
the same.
 
The third day home was a Saturday so Kim and I could both look after Squirt.
Throughout the day he got up several times on his own to use the litterbox,
and to seek out food and water.  He was taking in liquids still, eating some
more warmed up soft food, and even a few of his favorite kind of kibble.
After that he continued to recover rather quickly.
 
His back end was rather uncoordinated for a while after the surgery, but I
think just about anyone would be after having their middle opened up and
their innards rummaged around in.  He's gotten much more coordinated again,
but we were careful to not let him hurt himself by jumping down from
anything for some time.  If he did try to jump down, he usually went ass
over tea kettle and landed rather hard.
 
During the first several days of Squirt's recovery our other three ferrets
spent all of their time sleeping with him -- usually on top of him -- in
order to keep him safe and snug.  It's always quite amazing how our ferrets
look after one another when one of them is sick.  Unfortunately, we've had
enough opportunities to see that in action.
 
Take care, and good luck with little Nick!
-- Michael
   Squirt - "Not *THIS* place again!"
   Pippi  - "Hey, the vet says I have really tough skin!"
   Atlas  - "Nope, nope, don't like it at all."
   Hijinx - "Is it my turn yet?  I hope not!  What's that over there?"
[Posted in FML issue 2180]