Dear FML,
Still alive a kicking in Alaska.  Chena still has diarhea more than not.
He is on carafate, immodium ad, and Child kaopectate.  Also thanks to Mike
in Florida, they are all getting ferret- zyme.  I am extremely greatful for
all the positive thought and prayers and suggestions.  It has been 6 weeks
since Chena has eaten or drinken anything on his own.  We have been able to
do away with the majority of the sub q's.  He is brighter but still very
very thin.  I am hopeful with him.  Jasper however has taken an awful turn
for the worse and I think that we are dealing with something other than
ECE.  It may have started out that way but it is different.  Jasper is an
older mf male sable.  Before coming to me he lived with a guy that found
him on a school playground.  He was living in a guinea pig cage with the
guinea pig for about a year and a half.  I had to open the window to drive
him home the smell was so over powering.  After 2 baths, I still could not
rid him of the odor.  The vet came to check him out and discovered he had
little to no ham string muscles from probably lack of exercise.  He had
also been declawed.  I just wanted to cry every time i lookd at his little
paws.  He gained weight rapidly and soon sported a very healthy amount of
abdominal fat.  He seemed to be on the mend.  Then ECE hit my shelter.
Jasper was one of the last to show any symptons.  About 2 months after the
initial outbreak it hit him.  I isolated him right away and monitered his
eating and drinking.  The very ady he stopped eating on his own, I began to
supplement food and water as well as meds.  He continued to get worse,
although not losing weight like Chena did.  We were able to get his diarhea
under control after about a week and a half, but it has been a steady
downhill spiral.  He has no sparkle to his eyes and they appear dull and
sunken.  He drools a bit and today can not make it to his litter box though
it is only 8 inches away.  He feels cold to the touch so I gave him a hot
water bottle and he is laying right on it.  He can't even hold up his head
any more.  Dr. Loibl is coming over this afternoon and will run a glucose
test, I am praying but am not hopeful.  Jasper is so forlorn looking.
There is no joy in his eyes and I don't know what else to do.  I want him
healthy and happy.  The selfish side of me wants to keep fighting for him,
I don't want to let him go.  But I wiil be able to do what is right for him
if my vet thinks that is best.  I still feel so helpless.  He deserved much
more than life has givven him.  I just want him to feel love.  A little
fuzzy kiss would do, just 1 and I could let him go.
 
Please keep us in your prayers.
 
Diana and The Ferret Farm
[Posted in FML issue 2441]