Just wanted to let everyone know that there are some absolutely adorable
new ferts at a local Portland shelter.  I was over to Leonards & Elaynes
tonight to visit my guys (DANG I want them home with me!!!!!)
 
I met my first deaf ferret (a DEW) and was amazed at how human-intensive
and interactive and alive he was.  I have to say I have never seen another
ferret that was more human-dependent; he'd come chasing after you no matter
what you were doing, wanting to be played with and tussled and loved and
wardanced.
 
That was my first introduction to a (quote-unquote) "disabled" ferret (tho
I'd met adrenal cases before then) and honestly my heart was immediately
swept away by sweet little Noah!  He's scared of other ferts, so far, but I
think whomever adopts him will end up with a totally awesome ferret.  I
hope L&E don't mind this unsolicited advertisement... Noah had us all
laughing our heads off at his antics the whole time, and (I'm told) like
other deaf ferrets has this real intense eye-to-eye contact with you that
makes him very special.  One more fascinating ferret thing to mark down for
treasuring....
 
Okay, that said... I just don't know what to do about Grover.  When I got
him about a month ago, he weighed about 860g, he lost about 100 grams and
now seems to be building back up, a bit, but is still under his entry
weight.  I was told, when I adopted him, that he was 1-1.5 yo, but folks
in-the-know say he is probably more like 1.5-2 or so, if that, i.e. older,
and that, given the size of his head he should weigh 1050-1200g.  He has
put on SOME weight in response to soup, but I am still very anxious about
him.  He remains active/interactive with the other ferrets and with people,
and his poops are pretty normal, after some initial scary-looking poopies.
He has become quite the ladies' man with the girl ferrets even tho most of
them are heavier than him.
 
What I am worried about right now is, basically, what to do?  I *AM* going
to take him to the vet, but I don't have a lot of money for advanced
diagnostics.  I don't want to subject him to procedures that'd make him
feel bad, but on the other hand, I would feel like an utter scum-wad if I
didn't give him the care he needed, when he needed it.  -( I have heard
that underweight ferrets are hard to bring back up to weight.  I would
*LIKE* to believe it was just his bad previous existance, which I rescued
him from, which is the problem, but I don't want to overlook anything dire,
either.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I can float some on credit but
would rather not if I can avoid it; life is tough right now, but my dear
Grover deserves the best, and I would be overjoyed to see him chunking up
like his cagemate and buddy, Onyx.
 
- Megan
http://www.teleport.com/~megan/
"Progress in ethics is the only cure for progress in science."
-- Dr. Freeman Dyson, quoting Haldane
[Posted in FML issue 2449]