It's been difficult for me in my head not being able go to the
Symposium this year. I was blaming it on Countrywide; but now I
know I was not meant to go.
Tuesday I received a call from "Corey". She had a 10-month old female
ferret, Diamond, she wanted to surrender.
Diamond was allowed to free roam in an apartment with Corey and 3
kids ( 6-year old boy, 13 year old girl and 17 year old girl).
Diamond "disappeared" Friday nite and they all went to bed WITHOUT
knowing where she was. Saturday they discovered her wedged in a box
spring. She was taken into our area Emergency Animal Clinic. X-rays
didn't show much because her right arm was too swollen. Her right
paw looked like a small catcher's mitt. They tapped her twice and
discovered lymph fluid, but not much.
She was kept overnight in "ICU" (oxygen and pain meds).
Diamond went home Monday with pain meds and instructions to be syringe
fed every 2 hours. Corey called me Tuesday to ask if I'd take her
because with a full-time job and 3 kids, she didn't have time to give
Diamond the 24/7 care she now needed.
I got this call just before I had to go to work Tuesday so my good
friends, Gale and Al, picked up her with all her medical records and
took her to their home since they had time to help Diamond convalesce.
Wednesday I contacted my vet and Gale took the documentation she
received from Corey to him for his review. He advised bringing her
in when the swelling went down thinking he was looking at possibly
a dislocated elbow and possible nerve damage.
Thursday she's o.k.
Friday she's o.k. The swelling is going down a bit but not as expected.
We were looking at a Monday morning appointment at the vet.
Saturday Diamond took a turn for the worse. When Rose and I went to
visit Diamond at Al & Gales, her breathing was labored. We feared fluid
on the lungs and her paw is not pinking up and the pads felt dry. I
called my vet. June, who is a vet tech at an area cat clinic, came over
with her stethoscope and knowledge. The prognosis didn't sound good but
we still had pain meds for her.
Early afternoon Sunday, Diamond went to the vet. He took x-rays. No
fluid on the lungs, thank God; but he feared the labored breathing was
from pain. The right leg/paw was dead tissue and bacterial infection
was setting in. The left arm is broken so that's another issue. Ferrets
have a high tolerance for pain, as we all know, but little Diamond was
crying in pain. Surgery for amputation of the right arm (up to the
shoulder blade) is scheduled for tomorrow and my vet is taking her
home with him so he can keep an eye on her until surgery tomorrow.
IF this 10-month old chocolate point little girl makes it, Gale and Al
will take her home with them while she convalesces and then she'll come
back to me. I'm kind of at a loss because although I've had ferrets
with "rear end damage", I've never had one with "front end damage" like
this. She's been "slithering" but it would be nice if we could make her
mobile somehow. We're not sure what shape the left arm is or will be in.
We're very worried for this little girl. If anyone can see it in their
heart to help with veterinary costs at this point, it would be really
GREATLY appreciated.
Dr. Michael Phelps
Coit Animal Clinic
1958 Coit Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
616-363-5530
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As if that wasn't enough this week, I got a call from the Al-Van Humane
Society in South Haven, Michigan. Thursday nite 4 ferrets, 1 parakeet,
a couple cats and dogs were left in cages by the dumpster. Thursday
nite was rainy and cold in South Haven. The cages were roach infested.
Friday evening, Al, Gale and I drove to South Haven to pick up Simon,
Theodore, Alvin and Davey (David Seville didn't fit). Simon, Alvin and
Davey are in good shape. Theodore's not doing so hot. They're in
quarantine in my computer room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday I also got a call for a Monday morning surrender from Indiana
....... wellllllllllll, they came in today just before I got the call
to take Diamond in. Add that to the fact I had to go to work for 3:30p.
YIKES!! Needless to say, I'm going in late ...... took off a 1/2 day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The total here at the West Michigan Ferret Connection is now 60. I
thank God for Matt, Sara, Stephanie, Gale, Sara, Richard and Rose. We
are full.
Dee
West Michigan Ferret Connection
[Posted in FML 6150]
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