Hi to everyone and their fuzzy friends!
I had decided earlier this summer to come out from my hidy hole and actually
send a post for a change.  It was going to be a light hearted note on how
ferret math has struck our house this year (you know 1+1=3, then 1+1+1=5
which then turns to 6 in the blink of an eye).  This summer has been crazy
and this is the first time I've really sat down to post and unfortunately
it's out of necessity.  I need some help from those of you who have gone
through or are going through taking care of a fuzz butt with cardiomyopathy
and insulinoma.
 
My second oldest ferret Ember ( a 5 year old MF female) didn't seem to be
acting like herself nothing I could put my finger on , but I could tell
things just weren't right.  So since I work for a vet who loves ferrets, I
packed her up and took her to work with me.  We did the works!  Xrays,
bloodprofiles, glucose testing ect.....To make a long story short she
definately has cardiomyopthy and insulinoma.  Her heart is bad enough she is
not a good surgical candidate for surgery on the insulinoma.  Ember has been
started on pedia pred (which of course she hates) and vasotec.  I could
really use any helpfull hints from those of you who have lived through this.
It's probably better to e-mail me privately so we don't clog up the fml.  I
would like to keep her as happy and comfortable a possible.  Suki, to you I
give great thanks for sharing your stories of Meltdown,little did i know
when i read them and cried with you that you were helping prepare me for
Ember.
 
I'm sorry that this is such a long post but if you can indulge me a little
longer, I'll tell you of my ferret math.  At christmas time my husband and i
decided to get a kit that had stolen our hearts.  Since our two oringinal
girls are now 5&6 yrs we had forgotten how energetic the little farts could
be, so to save our girls from being pounce on in the middle of their naps we
decided to adopt a younger ferret for Harley to play with.  It just so
happened when we were finally ready to do this Pam Grant had 2 sweet boys
about 2 years old looking for a home and of course we couldn't think of
seperating them!  :) Well as I stated earlier I work for a vet and as any
one out there who works for a vet can tell you, you're bound to end up with
at least one animal from the hospital sooner or later.  Mine is a 1 year old
ferret, the product of a back yard breeder.  She has 3 legs and a short
tail( the whole litter had some type a birth defect) The lady who owner this
one could no longer afford to take care of it and of course it was in heat.
Well now she's been spayed and has a new home with us.  Agian sorry I'm
sorry this post is so long.  Christy and the
fuzzies(De,Ember,Harley,Otto,Robin Hood ,and Marion)
[Posted in FML issue 2046]