Last September, we also lost our first ferret to an intestinal blockage;
Jamie was only 20 weeks old when she died.  She swallowed a foam ear plug,
but we didn't know what killed her until her post-mortem exam.  We felt so
frustrated and helpless not knowing what was making her sick and nothing
was helping.  (You can find Jamie's story in the 4/8 or 4/9 FML.)  It was
so heartbreaking to see sweet Jamie waste away.  As with Joey's owners, we
were guided by the advice of the pet store and local vet; I had no computer
or internet access, had never heard of the FML, and knew next to nothing
about ferrets.  When Jamie became ill, we took her to the vet not once, not
twice, but three times over a period of about three weeks.  The vet never
mentioned a blockage; I don't think he even suspected it.  (The foam plug
did not show up on x-ray.)  I'm sure if we had done an exploratory at the
very beginning, Jamie may still be alive today.  I will always feel to
blame for our neglect that resulted in our baby Jamie dying so tragically,
so young.  I never cried so much over the loss of a pet.  I can't even
imagine the pain and suffering Jamie endured as she wasted away.  I shared
my story in April, and again now, in the hopes that sharing our experience
will save other ferrets' lives.  PLEASE, keep rubber and foam objects away
from your ferrets.  We have two ferrets now, and as much as we try to
protect them, they still get into things that could kill them.
 
Thanks, BIG, for all you do in bringing the FML to us.  I have learned more
about ferrets and how to take care of them from this single resource than
from all other resources combined -- I have no access to a ferret club or a
good ferret vet, and know no other ferret owners, so the FML and the
Internet are my primary sources of help and information.
[Posted in FML issue 2399]