I had the most horrible experience at the vet last Wednesday.  I have an
excellent ferret vet.  He was explaining to me the possibility that the
vaccinations he was about to give Belle 3 1/2 and Tigger 2 1/2 could have a
negative effect on them and send them into shock and he would then have to
give them counter medication to reverse the negative affect.  I was half
paying attention because I was well aware of this medication from FML and
I also knew that they had both had this vaccination last year and had no
negative reactions.  Well I should have paid closer attention because I did
not know that just because they didn't have a reaction last year didn't
mean that they couldn't have a reaction this year or any other year.  Belle
had an immediate reaction and within minutes (less than 5) she was blue
from not breathing.  The vet immediately ran with his assistant to give her
the counter medications to get her breathing again.  I held Tigger and told
him Belle would be ok she just needed some medication.  We waited and it
was not good.  The vet had placed Belle in a baby incubator with her little
head propped up on a pillow with her head next to the steady flow of
oxygen.  My "Belly Button" (Belle) was in crisis.
 
My babies have had their troubles, they have been very sick at times and I
was very worried about Belle's low weight and lack of appetite and Tigger's
high weight.  The past year has been wonderful, no illness and totally
happy ferrets.  Tigger even lost 1/2 lb like the vet wanted.  The vet was
going over all of our past concerns and they had all been resolved.  I felt
so blessed to have happy, healthy ferrets.  I had a very close relationship
with my vets and they know me and how I love and care for my fuzzies.
 
The vet was shocked with Belle's reaction to the vaccination.  He said he
had never seen or heard of anything like it; 1/2 hour, yes but for it to
hit this hard and this fast was mind-blowing and they were able to save
the other ferrets that he heard of.  Belle could not be moved and stayed
and crossed the rainbow bridge about 2:00 AM.  The vet called me every
hour and 1/2.  Out last conversation was that he was going to contact the
manufacture of the vaccination because he feels something is not right.  He
said he would not let Belle die in vain.  He didn't even have the heart to
charge me for the emergency services and cremation of Belle.
 
I took a week off of work and grieved and tried to help Tigger as much as
I could.  The first couple days were the hardest to watch my little baby
Tigger track Belle's scent with a dead end at every trail.  My guys have
the run of the house so Tigger had allot of places to check.  He has been
getting allot of attention from me but he doesn't know what to do with
himself.  He just lays flat and looks up at me.  I am so concerned with
him.  He is use to 5:00 - 5:30 AM playtime; 7:00 - 8:30ist AM playtime;
God only knows what they did during the day; the evening was all of us
and 10:00 - 11:00 PM playtime.
 
I am afraid he will get depressed.  I went through that with Belle years
ago and that's how we got Tigger.  Belle almost died from depression and
that was because we moved and she was confined to my very small bedroom
verses our apartment while we were looking for our house for 9 months.  I
know how hard it is to train a ferret the way I train a ferret anyway.  I
think most of us believes that we have the best fuzzy and I am no
exception.  Everyone loves my babies, even the people that don't like
animals.  They are the most sociable fuzzies, never nip and always give
kisses, never mean and are the sweetest fuzzies.
 
I don't know what to do.  I am hoping that Tigger will bond with my dog
Kylo but I don't know that that is possible.  Kylo waits outside the tubes
for Tigger but I think Tigger needs somebody that can fit in the tube with
him.
 
If anyone has any suggestions for me please let me know.  Please be kind I
feel horrible for feeling like "this would never happen to me" and not
treating each second I had with Belle like it was the last.  I took my poor
baby out of her warm bed out into the cold to deliver her to her death.
Belle knew that she could always trust me to take care of her and I failed
so please don't think that I am ok because I am not; I have another living
creature that thinks he can trust me to take care of him and I don't want
to fail him too.  Even with all the attention I can give Tigger still does
not know what to do with himself.  The plan now is to let him grieve and
see if he is ok by himself or if he needs a little brother.  I know if I
wait too long and he hits depression a little brother won't help only duck
soup and rubbing his little muscles and trips to the vet.  I am not ruling
out shelters that is just a whole other set of Q&A.
 
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!  Hold you fuzzies close, give them a
kiss and play with them in memory of Belle tonight and remember to take no
living creature for granted and I hope that I have learned this the hard
way so you won't have too.
 
Anna & Tigger
 
In loving memory of Belle
[Posted in FML issue 2911]