Some of you may recall a horrible neglect case back in 2000.  Diane
Campbell of Ferret Guardian Rescue Haven was called about a ferret
abandoned in an apartment.  The ferret had been left in a small fish
aquarium with the lid taped down, in an apartment with no electricity
(very hot in the North Carolina heat of August), with no food or water.
The bottom of the aquarium was a layer of urine and feces.  She was
emaciated, covered in urine burns, blisters, and fleas, and she could
not walk properly from living in the aquarium for so long.
 
She became Diane and Tony's personal ferret and recovered beautifully.
Her rubbery, malformed legs even straightened out and became strong.  She
was, in fact, a very dominant little alpha ferret and she pretty much ran
the place.  Diane called me yesterday to let me know that Squiggles was
gone and to ask that I let folks know what happened with her; she still
often gets questions about her and is too upset to write personally.
 
Squiggles enjoyed great health after recovering from her original
condition nearly four years ago.  In the middle of May this year, she
very suddenly became critically ill, with white gums and a belly full
of blood.  Surgery was done and she had a very, very nasty peritonitis;
biopsies were taken but the only thing formally found was the
peritionitis.  She did have some adhesions, suggesting that her bowel had
perforated at some point.  She responded great to antibiotics, Oxyglobin
and supportive care and seemed to recover well.
 
However, last week her belly again swelled, this time with a milky fluid
called chyle, either from obstruction of the bowel's lymphatic system or
lymphoma.  Her belly was drained and she responded well again and felt
great.  But yesterday she again went white and her belly swelled again.
This time the chyle inside was blood-tinged chyle, and the prognosis was
very, very poor.
 
Diane promised Squiggles nearly four years ago that she would never
suffer again they way she suffed in that aquarium, and given the lack
of hope for a lasting recovery, she was gently let go in Diane's arms.
 
Please send condolensces to Diane Campbell at [log in to unmask]
 
Best wishes to all,
 
-Pam S.
[Posted in FML issue 4545]