We've had a few replies with the same questions so I would like to better
explain what is happening with Meltdown, and that Steve will return to us
tonight a bit before 7 Eastern, given the usual traffic patterns between
here and the airport.  (Also, that, yes, we have Thanksgiving guests coming,
and no, we can't cancel though we'd like to, because they already bought
their tickets.)
 
Meltdown is 8 years and almost 2 months old, a sterling mitt born at Path
Valley, and a multiple year survivor of a malignant adrenal and of a spleen
that had been so huge it plugged her GI tract.  Just shy of 8 months ago she
developed cardiomyopathy with many ventricular bigeminis (doubled beats) and
sometimes sometime trigeminis (triple beats of that chamber) in each
monitored minute.  She should not have lived through her first severe bout,
but she did.  Then a mad scramble was on for treating this in ferrets.
Eventually, over 50 people were involved in the searching, including her
being brought up as a topic of conversation at a human cardiology convention
(which was conveniently timed) in case anyone had seen it in a test animal.
No one had seen or treated it in a ferret, but some people, such as Karen
Rosenthal and Debbie Kemmerer had used propranolol and the combination of
that and Enacard looked to be our best bet.  Well, that helped a very great
deal, but it did not totally stop the multiple beats.  Then Bruce Williams
suggested that we try using Lanoxin (dig) with Enacard.  It stopped the
multiple beats until now.  He is Meltdown's miracle man for suggesting the
method, and Hanan Caine (our vet) is her miracle man for staying so on top
of her needs, and sometimes even just doing spontaneous check-ups without
charge, and being there by phone sometimes several times a day during the
worst times.  Too many people here helped for us to name them all, but you
know who you are, don't you, Michael, Dick, Bill, Troy-Lynn, Pam, etc., etc.
One list member devoted a huge amount of time to Meltdown's information
searches (and also to the diet information search which we needed at the
same time for Ruffle's pre-cardiomyopathic heart disease and which her
recommendation for that: Tom Willard of Totally Ferret, provided for free):
Roxanne.  Georgia made her an afghan to keep her warm when she was at the
point where fake fur was too warm, but terry was too heavy.
 
She can't pull through.  Her cardiomyopathy has progressed to the point
where the meds no longer stop all dangerous arrhythmias.  What we hope for
are these things: that she'll make it long enough to see Steve tonight when
he gats back from Montana, that she'll have as long as she can possibly have
without developing congestive heart failure (She already has some
controllable ascites.), and that she'll go from the arrythmias because that
is painless -- she'll just become unconcious like she did the other day and
then not wake up.
 
Hanan says there are two patterns commonly seen:  the critter goes downhill
very fast and leaves, or there are rallies between (which is hwat she doing
now) and then the second, third or whatever time she passes on.
 
She has wanted to try to play twice today and that's aproblem.  Getting her
frustrated can set off a bout, but so can activity.  I feel like I'm on a
tight rope.  She's worth it.
 
What can I say?  Meltdown is wonderful.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 1764]