Hello to my FML Family:
 
I got a new job, soon to be two jobs, and I have worked more hours in the
last 7 days than I care to even think about, and therefore have not been on
the computer much, let alone updating people about Patches.  I just checked
my e-mail box and found quite a few messages from folks wondering how
Patches is so I thought I'd let you all know.
 
Quick background: Patches is the ferret of mine that has Lymphoma and
Cardiomyopathy, who had surgery a month ago to remove a whopping one-pound
spleen...came through the surgery amazingly well due to his medical problems
and was doing beautifully.  Until two weeks ago, that is...
 
One evening I had Patches out, he was running around just fine, no problems.
Took his raisins at "bedtime" as normal, and sacked out.  Twelve hours later
I went up to let him out again, and the poor little critter couldn't walk at
all on his back legs.  Didn't even try...he just dragged himself across the
floor and found a blanket to crawl under and went back to sleep.  Of course,
I freaked out, couldn't imagine what was wrong.  There was a red splotch on
his inner thigh, like a bruise but with no external "cuts" on it.  I was
hoping that the loss of use of the legs was due to injury, but I have no
idea how that could have happened, he never even goes to the 2nd level of
his cage...
 
Anyway, to make this looongg story shorter, I of course called the vet, and
she strongly suspected a blood clot. She said that either it would dissolve
and he'd be fine, or it could pass through, and it could reach the heart or
other vital organ and it could kill him...the bottom line was that no drug
or procedure could help, we just had to wait and see.  That's what I did,
waited in agony for the past two weeks to see what would happen.  Well, his
health got worse, he became depressed and lethargic, stopped eating,
couldn't go to the bathroom by himself, to make that worse he had completely
liquid bowels and it got all over himself, so he had to have me clean him
daily, and let me tell you that if you think ferrets don't get humiliated,
you're wrong; you could *tell* that he was completely humiliated to have mom
clean his butt every day, but he was also grateful, this I know.
 
Then about a week (maybe less) into this, I was drying off his legs after
his cleaning, and I noticed that the leg with the 'bruise' (which
eventually developed a hard crust over it, just like a burn...but there is
*no* way he could have been burned in his cage) that leg was swollen! I'd
never noticed it before, I don't know if it was swollen all along (the
first day at least, it wasn't) but I only noticed that it was swollen
because the leg was wet and the fur didn't hide the swelling. The other leg
looks fine, I can move it around and he doesn't wince or anything, but the
swollen leg gives him discomfort. So I took him to the vet, *positive* that
we had a broken leg here. I was so happy because that would mean that it
would heal.... anyway, the vet wasn't so optimistic. She said that it could
be fractured, but it wasn't broken (she could feel the bone intact). She
didn't even recommend x-ray because it would cost money that would be
wasted...if it's just a fracture, the treatment would still be the
same....wait and restrict movement. Wait, wait, wait! I am very impatient,
I want to know what is wrong with my baby! But I know my vet knows her
stuff, so I accepted this. She said that it still could be a clot, perhaps,
or a tumor of either the bone or the muscle, or yes, it could be a
fracture. She prescribed Baytril (?) and he is still on the Prednisone.
 
He still would not eat, I was trying all sorts of concoctions with no luck.
Put him back on nothing but Strawberry Ensure....yea! he ate that. But
nothing solid, and still NO raisins. I know he's bad when he won't eat
raisins! I began to really lose hope, thinking would *I* want to live if it
were confined to a cage, unable to walk or even poop by myself?
 
Then, perhaps due to the Baytril, perhaps from good thoughts, or whatever
else, a day or two later he just got up and started to eat his solid food!
He took raisins from me, drank water, and generally looked better all over.
 
He's been "good" for five or so days now, his appetite is still up and he's
finally got solid stools.  I let him out every day for a half hour or so,
just for change of scenery.  He still can't walk.  We call what he does
"motoring," because he's not walking, and to say he's dragging sounds so
horrible.  So we call it motoring.  Well he motors around (dragging himself
by his front legs, and using at least his good knee to help push himself
along...picture a frog, the way they have their knees and legs turned
out....that's what he looks like when he motors) but he actually seems to
have a good time out, as good as he can, anyway...he gets into every bag he
finds, digs at stuff, well, basically, he acts like a ferret.  He just can't
stand up on his own.
 
So I don't know if I should say that he's doing well or not. I wish I knew
what was causing all of this, whether that "bruise" is related, if this is
a clot, injury, or tumor of the bone or muscle...I just hope that it goes
away and he is able to enjoy his life to the fullest again. He is a very,
very loved ferret and I want only the best for him.
 
If you have any questions about Patches' condition, feel free to ask...this
coming week I should have more time to reply to messages (I hope! :-)  )
Otherwise, thank you all very much who inquired about his condition.
Knowing that you all care so much for a ferret you've never met means the
world to Patches and myself. Best to you all and your fuzzies!
 
Kymberlie Becker
Director, Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Association
"Forget Puppy Love...There's nothing Greater than Ferret Love!" TM
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ferretlady
[Posted in FML issue 2043]