Calysta Thalassa wrote:
 
>Re: the FML superpet post involving the Yorkdale PJ's Pet Center
>My jaw dropped when I heard that Yorkdale PJ's cared about their ferrets.
>This is the same store that not long ago had a sick returned ferret in
>it's back room for ten days before one of the employees managed to
>convince the staff to let her bring it to the vet.  The ferret needed two
>blood infusions and massive treatment, and she still died.  Would she have
>died if she had received medical attention right away?  Probably not; but
>who can say for sure.
 
actually, yes she would have.  she was suffering from a blood disorder
(heamophilia) and a stress ulcer.  that ferret was also abandoned at PJs by
her owners, who had refused to give her veterinary attention after having
called the store three weeks beforehand and being told in no uncertain
terms that the ferret needed to see a vet right away.  the ferret was
examined by the store vet (he's not a very good vet, but that's what head
office pays for.) and he was unable to find the cause of her illness, so
she was given Duck Soup and fed by hand by the store staff, going home
with them several times.  When the good vet at High Park saw Pheonix she
couldn't tell what was wrong with her either, but after keeping her a few
days and giving her iv fluid and a blood transfusion decided it was an
ulcer, on a hunch.  Kristi Flemming repeatedly begged the store manager
over the ten days the ferret was there to pay for the trip to High Park
animal clinic to help the ferret, however the manager, Scott, (the reason i
no longer work for the chain) refused.  Kristi only earns $8 an hour.  she
doesn't have her parents help paying the bills.  she couldn't pay for it.
Sabina Zilberchetein lives at home with her parents, so she could, and she
did.  it means she won't be going back to school like she'd hoped, but she
did what she had to.  i'm not saying that the store itself is good for
ferrets, the store manager and head office are both shits.  but Kristi is a
good woman who cried her heart out over the fact that she couldn't help
Pheonix.  and she's the best hope the chain has for improving the care of
the ferrets.  if a few letters could convince the management to take what
she has to say about ferrets and small pets in general to heart, it would
do a world of good.  but as long as people continue to tar her with the
same brush as her bosses, her hands are tied.  i worked with Kristi for a
long time.  i was her pick to take charge of the department if she got
another job.  i know her well, and i've heard her cry about Pheonix (who
she named), and i know she did everything that was in her power for her.
 
>All I can say is that a beautiful little ferret named Phoenix is no longer
>with us.  I say kudos to the employee who brought her in and said to give
>her whatever treatment necessary; money is not important.  But I'll tell
>you right now; her name was not Kristi Flemming.
 
no, but they're my two best friends, and each others best friends too, and
i can tell you if Kristi could have done it without starving herself or her
own pets to pay for it, she would have.  have you ever tried to live in
Toronto on $8 an hour??  the ferret didn't belong to her to hand over to
the ferret aid society, it belonged to the store, and her boss said no.
 
>I know I won't be shopping there ever again; denying needed medical
>treatment is animal abuse.
 
and what would you have done differently?  sick ferret is handed to you.
she's dehydrated.  you get the vet tech to administer IV fluids, and start
duck soup.  ferret sees vet- vet doesn't know what's wrong.  you feed duck
soup and keep ferret warm, not knowing what kind of treatment it received
to cause its illness or what the illness is, just seeing green poops and a
dehydrated ferret.  looks like ECE.  ferret gets better, but relapses.  vet
still doesn't know what's wrong.  you feed more duck soup, ferret improves
but then gets even worse.  you beg the owner of the ferret (store manager
Scott) to let you take ferret and he eventually agrees, probably because he
thinks it has died.  you see another vet- she doesn't know what's wrong but
offers to keep ferret for observation and more IV fluids.  you say "i'll
pay whatever it takes".  ferret stays at vets, gets meds and 2 blood
transfusions, starts biting and playing like a real ferret and goes home.
she gets better and you look for a home for her, because no matter what,
you can't keep her.  overnight she stops eating, has a tarry poop and dies
in her sleep.
 
what more can you really do??
 
siani
[Posted in FML issue 2823]