It is with red swollen eyes, tear stained cheeks, and a broken heart that I
tell you we had to help Buffy to the bridge, yesterday (Monday).  Yes, this
is sad, but please read the first two paragraphs for the medical info.
 
Buffy had inoperable adrenal cancer.  When we adopted her 15 months ago she
just had left adrenal surgery; in fact, her stitches had just been taken
out that morning.  Her hair filled in on her body, but never really filled
in on her tail.  Knowing that she'd probably been adrenal for a while
because the breeder said it was a "seasonal thing".  This was before a
shelter rescued her.  I didn't give it much thought and knew that sometimes
the hair doesn't grow back.  Later on she developed a "smell" (maybe like
urine, or creosote) she didn't smell "ferrety".  I didn't know this was a
sign of adrenal, which unfortunately I found out too late.  Her tail had
also started to thin, but some of my others are doing the same thing right
now, seasonal shedding?
 
After losing so many ferrets at the beginning of the year and finding out
we had ADV I decided to not do vaccines or surgeries for awhile.  After a
few months of everyone doing good and no deaths I started getting distemper
shots.  Buffy was one of them, but the vet I took her to didn't do a
thorough exam like I was use to.  Two weeks later I thought she felt tight
so I took her to my normal vet and he felt a mass.  In a months time it got
huge.  I keep wondering if the first vet found it when she got her shot if
Buffy would have had a better chance???  When my vet opened her up to take
a look and do a biopsy the tumor was all entwined in the vena cava and
intestines and he closed her back up not giving her much time.  Well, I
got her a Lupron shot, gave her Timmy's Tonic and the Red Clover (Tumor Be
Gone), tried the Riley Recipe all in her chicken gravy.  I was bound and
determined to prove them all wrong.  But, unfortunately, the cancer won.
She did live weeks longer than expected.  When she didn't want to eat on
Saturday, had trouble getting around, more lethargic, and could see it in
her eyes I knew it was time.
 
Buffy was named mostly for her color, a MF DEW, around 3 years old, with
stray black hairs on her back, black and white whiskers, and a tiny black
smudge on her nose that looked like dirt.  She was Buffy the ferret, dog
and cat slayer.  But this stands to reason since she was stuck in a dirty
cage and not socialized with other ferrets.  She had fleas, dirty ears,
bedding was hard, poop piled high, yuck!  We weren't even sure she was
going to work out at first.  I put her with 2 kits and they got along fine,
well actually they bugged her and she put them in their place <g>.  We
had to have 3 separate play times because she would get picked on or pick
on some of the others, sigh!  She finally decided that the dog and cats
weren't a threat so she quit going after them.  She was a "people" ferret.
She eventually wormed her way into our hearts.  She had such a sweet
personality.  She'd give kisses and ear cleanings.  She loved being with
us.  She had a gate that was more like a leaping run (like a gazelle).  She
looked so happy when she did this running down the hallway!  I'll never
forget that!
 
We were fortunate to know beforehand that she was going to die, so we piled
on the love, attention, whatever to make her life the best in those last
few weeks.  After all the other ferrets were put to bed, I'd get her up and
hold her in her sleep sack until she wanted down to romp around.  We buried
her in her favorite sleep sack with the others in the garden.  I don't know
if ADV played any part in her becoming sick or not.  I'd like to believe
that the adrenal just kept growing even after the first surgery.  She is
number 5 to leave us since the beginning of this year.  It's been extremely
tough, even with an almost 5-month break between the last death before
hers.  It never gets any easier!!!  I don't know how you shelter people
to it.
 
I know we will adopt older ferrets again even though we know they won't be
with us as long.  But you forget that when it's time for them to go because
you feel robbed!  Buffy was only 4-gone too soon!
 
Sandee, please make sure that Scooter finds her and introduces her to the
rest of the gang (Rowdy, Tunny, Wheeler, Emily and Fruity).  Please tell
her that we love her and miss her.
 
Mary and The 11 Munchkins Missing Buffy!
[Posted in FML issue 3210]