Have to repair a dress I'd hoped to wear today.  At least the rips aren't
huge and are in an area not likely to show.  Can't say the same for a green
one with a bodice that's now mesh.  What the heck am I talking about?  It's
more WHO: Ashling.  If closets aren't closed tight she goes in and climbs
clothing to the top, then she either does what Steve calls a nose drop
where she lets her self fall till she decides to catch some clothing, or
she climbs down, or she hooks in her front claws ONLY and lets herself
slide down in her best imitation of Michelle Yeoh from "Tomorrow Never
Dies" -- with poster-child results.  Oh, well, Ashling is dearer than
dresses, or blouses, or curtains, or...
 
Hey, Michael, glad to see you appear again!
 
Bob, your write up in today's FML was WONDERFUL!!!!!
 
Oh, most of my lines will appear at home only but: Bryan Coffey is not
spelled with an "i".  Bryan Coffey is not spelled with an "i".  Bryan
Coffey is not spelled with an "i".  Bryan Coffey is not spelled with an
"i".  Bryan Coffey is not spelled with an "i".  Bryan Coffey is not
spelled with an "i".  Bryan Coffey is not spelled with an "i"...
 
Jim, we ALL Make mistakes.  If it was intentional you could have reason to
beat yourself up, but it WASN'T: you took precautions, had a vet check, are
kind as the day is long, help ferrets each day, and you tried, tried, and
tried.  Heck, there are some people in this world who don't try, never help
others, don't use vets as often as they should, are nasty, etc.  etc., etc.
I don't see as you need to apologize publicly.  Mistakes are there to learn
from and hopefully we all learn.  That's all.
 
In relation to lung diseases/disorders we've encountered ONLY two aside
from the very contagious things or cardiomyopathy related stuff.  When
Meeteetse had her pneumonia and pleurosy she was coughing at times other
than when was gorging (very unusual) and she sounded like a milder version
of how people sound with the croup -- that braying cough.  The cough
stopped when at the vet and nothing strange could be heard in chest, but we
knew it was NOT common at all so had her x-rayed.  Her chest was just plain
FULL of fluid.  Had to start intensive antibiotics and Lasix, and schedule
an emergency ultrasound.  Ruffle used to have asthma; she would pant, turn
PALE, get tired, act like she hurt (grumpy, etc.), and sometimes wheeze.  I
suspect that symptoms will vary form individual to individual like they do
in humans.  My asthma sounds like some peoples' bronchitis sometimes, and I
have had pneumonia with pleurosy that was thought to be bronchitis till I
coughed a lot of blood, but also had influenza that the physicians' thought
was likely to be pneumonia when I was nowhere near that sick.  I DOUBT that
you will find ANY clear cut distinctions.  Basically, if a ferret has
trouble breathing get it to the vet ASAP, do chest x-rays, listen, learn,
be glad if it's minor, and take it from there.  That's been our experience
with our busyness, and now I have to go spoil Meeteetse who says that she
is the center of the universe.  (Aren't they all?  Don't they all?)
[Posted in FML issue 2971]