I wanted to comment on the issue of leaving a ferret overnight at the vet's
after surgery, as opposed to taking the ferret home.  While I completely
understand wanting to bring the ferret home, and feeling terrible about how
lonely and scared the ferret might be feeling, I would not want to bring
one of my ferrets home until the vet cleared them to go.  In my opinion,
bringing a post-surgery (and I'm talking major surgery, not minor things
like removal of mast cell tumors, etc) ferret home early is endangerment of
the ferret's life.  All of my love and caring will not help if the ferret
starts bleeding internally at three in the morning.  Yes, I can rush the
ferret back to the emergency room (assuming I'm able to stay awake all
night and can tell if something goes wrong without veterinary training),
but that movement could make the bleeding worse and kill the ferret.  I
know that the vet's office probably does not have someone stationed 24
hours a day watching the post-surgery animals, but I'm sure they do get
checked regularly.
 
It does kill me to think of one of my ferrets all alone and in pain, but I
have to make my decisions based on their long-term lives, not what I think
would make both of us feel better in the immediate.  That said, I do think
that love and personal attention make a difference, and I take advantage of
visiting hours whenever possible (in Montreal, I had a wonderful vet who
let me be the post-surgery heating pad to warm Amelia back up after surgery
for a blockage).  It's very hard to be let somebody else take control of
your ferret, especially when you're worried that the ferret will be scared,
but when that somebody else is a vet with medical knowledge and training,
it's the right thing to do.
 
All of this is just my personal opinion, of course, but it's what I think
is right for my ferrets.
 
Regina
 
Regina Harrison
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http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083
Electra the Brujah's page:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/8096
 
Wrapped in my mongrel wings, I nearly freeze
In the howlin wind and drivin rain
All the trash blowin round 'n' round
[Posted in FML issue 2923]