Cherrie and John,
 
I really sympathize with your situation with Farrah!  My Fred was sick the
last nine months of his life with cardiomyopathy, and it was hard to see him
go from a happy, active little mischief maker to an animal who did nothing
but sleep.
 
My vet and I actually had philosophical differences about when to put him
down.  His prognosis was DEFINITELY terminal ... there was no hope for
recovery.  I wanted to put him to sleep after about the first seven months,
when he was at the point when his only activities were sleeping, using the
litterbox (although sometimes he was took weak/tired to make it all the way
there), and eating and drinking (very little).  I thought this was a lousy
quality of life, and something I wouldn't wish for myself, if I was in his
paws (so to speak).
 
My vet assured me that Fred was in no pain, just very tired all the time.
She made some changes to his medication to keep him comfortable, and he made
it for another two months.  In the end, I KNEW it was time to have him put
to sleep when I woke up one morning and discovered he hadn't moved at all
since the previous evening, and was really struggling to breathe.
 
I took him to the emergency vet clinic (I saw no point in prolonging his
obvious discomfort by making him wait another four hours until the regular
vet opened).  The emergency vet agreed with my decision, and gave him the
injection.  I think Fred actually knew what was going to happen; he perked
up for those last few minutes, gave me and the vet ferret kisses, and even
made a valiant attempt to play with the stethoscope around her neck.  I was
in tears, and even the vet looked a little misty-eyed, I think.
 
So, that's my story.  Sorry that I don't have any more specific advice for
you, other than to discuss it with your vet.  For me, the decision was made
based on Fred's quality of life, his comfort level, and, most importantly,
whether he was in pain.  It's a hard decision; good luck to you.
 
- Ela
 
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   (000)___(000)        Ela Heyn
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[Posted in FML issue 1880]