I'm posting this in hopes that it might help someone.  Perhaps it will help
me some too, I can't seem to go five minutes without tears.  I apologise
for it's length, but I want to try and include everthing that is relevent.
 
My dear sweet Gargoyle, inspiration for Gargoyle The Mighty in the latest
Ferret Poem book, died during surgery very early this morning (12/7).
 
Gargoyle was adopted from a loving family in March of 98 as a healthy two
year old.  I was told by the owners that we were adopting a male ferret,
formerly named Buster.  I figured out (albiet a bit later) that Gargoyle
was indeed a little girl.  My sweet baby loved to spend her time perched on
my shoulder as much as possible, would do anything for a raisin and played
endlessly.  She accepted not one, but eventually three other ferrets into a
home where she was once a spoiled only child, with never one argument or
complaint.  Her three best friends are as confused as we are,and missing
her so very much today.
 
Three months after adopting Gargoyle, she had a one day episode of periodic
vomiting.  The vomit was entirely composed of food, and after a trip to the
emergency clinic and given antibiotics for a mild bacterial infection she
recovered fully (so we thought) and continued to have good bowel movements
and no further vomiting.
 
Last week, a year and six months later, I watched Gargoyle pass a small
orange piece of latex rubber.  I was disturbed by this because there has
NEVER (I know it's hard to say never, but trust me) been anything in my
ferrets environment made from latex.  I don't have rubber erasers in my
house, and nothing in my ferret room other than cloth, cardboard or ferret
food is chewable.  I followed up with more laxative than usual for her for
several days, and watched her every move.  Eating and drinking was normal,
as was the rest of her stools.  None were seedy, she did not vomit and was
playful and active.  Monday morning at 11 when I did my first litter pan
clean up of the day, I roused all four weasels for the usual morning romp.
They have free roam of their room but usually sleep from midnight to ten or
so on their own, in their cage hammocks.  Gargoyle got up, and went to the
litter pan.  She appeared to be straining some, and produced a very small
glob of stool, then crawled back the hammock.  Her eyes weren't bright or
responsive, I knew right away she wasn't well.  The night before she had
been romping with the rest.
 
I called my vet, who was booked solid and explained on the phone that I was
concerned about the possibility of a blockage.  The receptionist had to
consult the vet in order to squeeze me in, but we were able to get in at 3
in the afternoon.  I gave Gargy some chicken gravy and lots of water, and
we went to the vet.  X-rays were taken as were blood samples.  All of her
values were normal, save a slightly elevated white count.  She was quite
dehydrated, despite my giving her lots of fluids and over the course of the
three hours we were there three 10cc injections of sub-q fluids were
administered, dextrose was added to the last one.  The vet palpated her
abdomen thoroughly and said he couldn't feel anything, and the xray showed
a slight gas pattern but nothing conclusive.  I had told him about the
piece of latex being passed the week before, and I even showed it to him.
We were told to take her home, monitor her and come back in the morning at
nine.  This meant at 6pm she hadn't had a bowel movement or urinated in six
hours.  She also hadn't vomited.  I was reluctant to leave it at that, but
my vet is considered one of the best ferret vets in the area and I've
always trusted him.
 
Two hours later she wasn't doing any better, and I could tell she was a bit
distended.  We went to the emergency clinic where they took new x-rays and
two objects were easily visible in the x-ray.  Gargy's body temperature at
that time was 95, which stunned me.  The vet at the office had said her
temp was normal.  They put her on a warmer and put in a catheter, and said
that if they could get her stable and her temp up that they would operate,
but were unsure if she would get to that point.  Almost three hours later,
her temp was up to normal and the emergency vet decided it was now or
never.  An hour and a half later we called to check in, having been told no
news was good news.  They said they were in the process of closing up, and
we breathed a bit of a sigh.  The emergency vet then called back half an
hour later to say that after closing, my sweet baby had a heart attack and
they were unable to revive her.
 
When we went to see her, to hold her and kiss her, to say goodbye, the vet
showed me the pieces that he had taken out.  They were large, about the
size of a penny (though not round) and were a textured foam rubber that is
almost certainly some kind of nerf ball.  Nothing like this has ever been
in our house, or anywhere that Gargoyle has ever been while in our care.
Talking to the emergency vet about it, and related past history, we think
it is almost certain that these pieces of rubber were in Gargy's stomach
since before she came to be with us.  How she lived so well, and so happily
for all of this time, I can't imagine.  Other than the one incident of
vomiting, she was never ill.  Her stools were never seedy, she never had
bouts of diarrhea.  She had a good appetite, and was of a good weight for
her size.  I know all of this because I don't work outside my home, and
have spent the biggest part of every single day with my sweet baby since
we adopted her.  I knew her habits, and her health as if they were my own.
 
I occasionally read that vomiting here and there with a ferret isn't
something to be panicked about, that it could just be something upsetting
their stomach if there are no other symptoms.  Please consider that perhaps
it might be something else.  All of my ferrets regularly get vet check ups,
and get laxative medication at least weekly.  They all seemed healthy,
happy and playful.  How could this have happened?  I'm having a very hard
time with this, as I feel I did everything right, and my sweet baby died
anyway.  She wasn't even four yet.
 
My regular vet called me, crying on the phone today, and he is also at a
loss.  "why didn't I see it.." is something he said over and over.  As
upset as I am, I found myself telling him that he is only human and can
only do the best he knows how.  He told me he knew how special my baby was
to me, and that he didn't sleep much last night for thinking of her.  He
said he will be sharing her x-rays with other vets and techs to get more
opinions, he is pretty heart sick too.  He said he would never forget her.
As my vet is nearing retirement, and has treated so many animals over the
years, this touched me deeply.  If there is blame, I don't know where to
place it.
 
Again, apologies for length.
 
Robynn and three who are lonely
Sweet baby you let me hold you all day, I just wish it hadn't been your
last.
[Posted in FML issue 2891]