How much anyone is willing to spend to save a ferret (or any other loved
one) is a personal issue.  Determining if a ferret is suffering is part of
the decision making process, and knowing the particular ferret will help
you determine what the ferret's quality of life will be after the treatment
or surgery.
 
For Elayne and I, money is not much of an object in determining if we
should go forward with an expensive treatment or procedure, but we realize
that other ferret owners aren't as fortunate financially, and so for them
the cost is an important factor.  Elayne and I try to project what sort
of life the ferret will have after surgery (or for the length of the
treatment), which is what we try to use as a basis for our decision.
Sometimes emotions cloud the issue and sometimes a ferret's gradual descent
into illness and suffering has caused us to wait too long before letting
go.  We tend to err on the side of optimism for the ferret's outlook, which
can be good and bad.
 
We've spent over a thousand dollars on a dear pet who lived on with a happy
and healthy life for three more years, and we've opted to not spend any
money other than for euthanasia for another dear pet who's body was riddled
with lymphoma and who had no chance for anything but a life of misery.
Each ferret and each case must be considered individually.
 
Leonard Bottleman       [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2803]