I am a new subscriber to the FML.  I found out about it through one of the
ferret clubs at Yahoo!.  Today I was reading all the posts about people
going through the loss of their loved fuzzies.  I am at work in tears over
these posts.
 
I feel for everyone who has had to go through losing any pet, but I can
relate to the loss of a ferret.  This past April 1, we lost our 2.5 year
old female sable, Tillie.  She had just undergone surgery to remove an
adrenal tumor.  She died at our home two days later.  We are in the process
of having a house built so we took her to our lot and burried her with her
favorite windbreaker of mine she loved to curl up in and the big string
of costume beads she loved to play tug-of-war with.  I don't have to tell
everyone the heartbreak we still feel over the loss of Tillie.  It was
equally heartbreaking to see our other furbutt, Gus, search the apartment
for Tillie, eventually giving up, realizing her pal was gone.  We bought
them at the same time from the same pen at the pet store so they had been
together as long as we had them.  They may have even been sisters.  We have
since got a new cagemate for Gus and she is very happy with her new friend,
Racquel.
 
The main reason for my post is I am concerned about the way the vet handled
the post-op problems Tillie had.  They let me take her home the same day
the surgery was performed.  Is this usual?  Shouldn't they have kept her
another night for observation?  The bandage around Tille was tight and
covered her hindquarters so she was unable to move her back legs.  36 hours
after the surgery (Fri. evening), we removed the bandage (per the vet's
instructions).  Sat. a.m., she still could not move her back legs and they
were limp and cold.  I called the vet at 10:00 a.m. and asked him if that
was normal.  He said it could just be that the circulation hadn't started
flowing in her legs yet.  He said if she still couldn't move them by Wed.,
to give him a call.  About noon, I noticed Tillie's breathing was labored
and she wasn't trying to move around as much.  She would also shudder with
every few breaths.  I talked to another vet in the office (not the one who
performed the surgery).  She told me her blood sugar could be too low.  She
told me to feed her some honey and some Nutrical.  I fed her honey, water
and Nutrical with an oral suringe.  She seemed to be taking most of it but
then she would cough some up.  I was doing this while the vet was on the
phone.  She said to give her about 20 minutes and she how she responded.
10-15 min.  later, the vet called me back to see how Tillie was doing.  I
told her it didn't seem like she was doing much better.  She told me to
just keep an eye her.  I pulled out the two bottom drawers in our dresser
and made her a little bed in there.  That was her favorite place to sleep.
I gently placed her in there and stroked her head and asked her to please
not die.  As I said those words, her wiskers twitched one last time and she
was gone.  I called the vet back and screamed at her that Tillie was dead.
She tried to say it could have been this, it could have been that but I
didn't want any explanations, I didn't care.  I told her I didn't even know
why I called her and said goodbye so I could call my husband.
 
I am sort of upset because (1) Should Tillie have been kept overnight for
observation?; and (2) Didn't Tillie's condition during her last hours
warrant the vet telling me to bring her in ASAP or telling me to get her
to the nearest emergency clinic ASAP?  All I really got from the vet who
performed the surgery was "I don't know what happened.  Everything appeared
to be fine."
 
I don't know if these are legitimate concerns or if I'm just in the anger
phase of Tillie's death and looking for someone to blame.  I blame myself,
too.  I had a happy, playful (albeit balding) ferret a week before this
happened.  She probably had a few good happy months left, maybe more.  Or
I could have demanded the vet see her when she started breathing funny or
taken her to the VetSmart down the road on my own.  I also feel guilty for
shoving food down her throat while she was dying.  How awful that must have
been for her!  I didn't really mean for this to turn into an emotional
out-pour.  If anyone could comment on the way Tillie's post-op was handled,
I would appreciate it.  I don't know what I'm looking for.  It's not going
to bring her back and it's not like I'm going to run out and sue anyone.
Maybe I just want to hear that everything that could be done was done.  I
don't know -- any feedback would be appreciated.
 
Thanks for your time!
Rachel
[Posted in FML issue 3069]