Hi All,
 
Well our little onesome Larry is now a threesome!  His two brothers came to
me yesterday late afternoon.  Was glad she finally decided to go with us
because she was thinking of trying the zoo etc..  but they wouldn't have
taken them anyway and if they left them there they would have ended up at
the Humane Society.  She was scared to death they would kill them and she
was very insistent that these two stay together.  Of course I explained we
are a totally NO-KILL shelter and I guaranteed her they would be adopted out
together as a pair no matter how long I personally had to keep them in order
to do that.  She was crying the other day when I took Larry and she really
lost it today with her two.  Larry belonged to her Mom and these guys were
hers but I think they lived together in the same huge cage from the moment
Larry joined the family.  Larry was overjoyed to have them with him again
and I am now going to try and pull off one more miracle in finding another
home for a trio of ferrets!  NOT easy, let me tell ya.
 
I finally found out the truth of why they were giving them up too.  I guess
Momma's boyfriend insisted they leave and the Mom complied.  Really stinks!
I am not a huggy feely person at all but this girl was hurting sooooo darn
bad that I had to give her a good long hug and reinforce to her that they
would get the best of care and love while with me and then move on to a
wonderful, loving home for the rest of their lives.  I think she felt a bit
better by the time we left.  We stayed 45 minutes or so since I did not want
to rush her in her saying goodbye.  Very sad affair.
 
So meet the new crew!
 
First we have a little sable boy named Stryker who is 4 to 5 years old and
unfortunately has a big old tumor on the tip of his tail.  So guess what?
You guessed it, yet another surgery here in the very near future.  I was
hoping so badly the adoption fees from these two little ones would help pay
for Larry's surgery and now I have a second surgery on my hands instead,
(pitifully LOL) Boy when it rains it surely do pours near enuff to drowned
ya!  He is very active and playful and loving.  Gives good ferret kisses
too:-) Probably needless to say that this little guy is also desperately but
graciously seeking sponsors in the ferret loving community just like brother
Larry.
 
And last but NEVER least, we have Two Socks!  This is a strange colored kid
and looked darned near a twin in that regard to my Otee.  I would say he is
a silver that is fading away into a dark eyed white.  Mostly white to
butterscotchy (Otee is more white very little yellow) in color underneath
and then some silver and dark greyish guard hairs mostly across the back and
into the haunches with a small amount towards the head.  Nose not completely
black like Otee's but mostly black with a few pink spots.  Very handsome
indeed!  Two Socks is 3 to 4 years old and seems pretty healthy.  This kid
is the MOST active of the bunch and he can really do a heck of a wardance
let me tell ya <GG> He is sweet and loving just like the other two.  Thank
the heavens that this sweetie does not need a sponsor:-) Whoever gets these
3 will be one very lucky ferret owner I think!  But heck, ALL ferret owners
are lucky just cuz they gots ferrets:-)
 
Just like Larry these guys have never been vaccinated except perhaps
Stryker.  He may have been once 2 years ago but she seems unsure of exactly
what was done or given to him then.  I was told they ate Iams all the time
they had them but they sure have dry and brittle toenails and we can see
there must be some full fledged cavities in them there mouths too.  What are
some of the causes of the brittle toenails and cavities?  Other than the
sweets for the cavities, that much I do know:-).
 
Petsmart's main vet called yesterday in response to an inquiry I had made
there a few weeks ago regarding them working with the shelter.  She asked a
lot of questions and I gave her lots of answers, All truthful I might add
<G>.  In the end she said she was very impressed and is at this moment
coming up with a tentative agreement (details to be finalized a bit later
depending on our needs) for working with us in the same ways they help Just
Strays and other organizations.  I am completely thrilled about it too.  I
wish that just once tho when I get some great news it doesn't end up being
followed with real crappy news that dang near ruins it all:-(.
 
Very shortly after the Petsmart vet called I went to take some of the kids
into a new vet that I had heard good things about and wanted to check out.
I knew Larry needed to be checked out right away and I had just picked up
Stryker and Two Socks 20 minutes before the appointment (so Stryker's tail
needed checked now) and a few other little things needed checked out too.
Well let's make a real long story short by saying after the visit was over
and I was expecting a bill of maybe $75 give or take I was handed a bill in
the amount of $126.31!!  and that was with a 10% discount mind you!  I
literally dropped my credit card on the counter and turned to my Mom and
friend that accompanied me and I just shook.  My Mom didn't understand what
had happened until the lady said the amount again.  Then she freaked out.  I
was saying how could it possibly be that much waiting and waiting for the
computer printout to tell me how.  He definitely charged me more than other
vets do but what really P.O'd me was this $30 consultation fee on it.  I
asked what in the world it was as I have never been charged such a thing
before in 20 years of vet visits!  He explained that was because of all the
questions we asked and the knowledge he imparted to us, what a crock of
s**t!  I mean what is the exam fee for anyway?  Isn't it to look the animal
over and determine the problem and then explain it to you?  Plus he
misrepresented himself to the friend that told me about him by saying he had
15 regular ferrets he treats and he told us he had 5!!  And then when she
asked what operations he had recently performed he speeled off a whole long
list.  But when we asked he said, "Oh, well 10 years ago in Kansas City I
did a lot of surgeries but it has been so long now I wouldn't even attempt
it." Aaarrrggghhh!  So basically he was of no use to me in what I really
needed at all (mainly Larry & Stryker).  I will now have to question
Petsmart on their record of Adrenalectomies(sp?) I'm calling back to
complain again this morning and just plain say I feel he should refund that
part of the bill since it should be covered in the exam fee.  So far no one
I or my Mom and friend have talked to has ever heard of being charged a
consultation fee.
 
In the end he did the following for his tidy sum of $126 :
 
Looked at two boys pee pee's because they are incontinent (all of 1 min.
each look) Discussed this very lightly and prescribed hormones.
 
Checked a small sore on one of those same boys and said he thinks it may be
an ingrown hair tho I was really thinking mast cell tumor by the look of it
(all of 1 min.  look again) said to keep an eye on it, that's all.
 
Only picked up Larry to keep from stepping on him and he kept putting him on
the high counter and I kept putting him down for fear he would fall and
break his neck.  Didn't check him over in any way.
 
Took a tiny bit of junk from 2 ferret's ears and ran a cytology, charged for
two of them even tho they were on the same slide.  Mixed up some Oti-Clens
with medication for infection in the ears.  He said near every type of
bacteria they could have they did have.  (Iiiiiii don't know about that
statement).
 
And last a quick peek (30 to 45 sec.) at Stryker's tail and the bump.
Saying it looked like a tumor (no kidding!) but he thought it was probably
benign by the look of it.  (??)
 
He knew we were a shelter before I ever came in and had he bothered to
mention at all these unusal ways of charging I would have walked right back
out the door the second after I entered it.  Believe me that next time and
every time after that I plan to say "Tell me how you do your charging
etc..." BEFORE I ever enter the exam room!!  So unfortunately just when we
have TWO surgeries facing us that will both be very expensive due to needed
bloodwork from their ages etc..  we get socked in the gut with this
outrageous bill.  I swear I wanted nothing more than to throttle the man
right there on the spot.  It would have been worth a couple days in
jail<GGG> Nearly every other vet I have ever dealt with has been very
competent and pretty good about their charges, especially a couple I have
seen that were very generous when it came to the bill.  I guess that is what
makes it sooo difficult for me to deal with the few bad apples.  Well better
shut up now I've gone on far too long.  Sorry everyone, especially you BIG!
( Just making up for all the days I haven't been posting I guess:-)) TNT!
 
PS : Real quickly, PLEASE do not get me wrong here OK?  I adore running this
shelter and I feel very fulfilled doing what I am able to do for each and
every fuzzy that comes into my life.  The harder the case the more wonderful
you feel.  I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything.  Sometimes it just
kind off gets to you and you need to blow off a little steam.  Especially in
this type of circumstance.  I was only angry because every dollar he charged
me that he shouldn't have is one less dollar I have to help the sweet,
little critters that really need it.  If I had lots of money I wouldn't give
a whit about the chrges but unfortunately that is not the case.  THANKS
EVERYONE!!
 
*******************************************************
*      Kelleen Andrews  &  The FANG GANG!!!!          *
*      President and Founder of F.A.N.G.              *
*      (Ferret Association of Neverending Glee)       *
*      405 S. Orchard   Boise, Idaho  83705           *
*      208-342-7292                                   *
*      [log in to unmask]                               *
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*   I'll take a good animal over a good mate anyday!  *
*   All they want is lots of love and great chow.     *
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*         Idiocy is our only option!                  *
*     Dustin Hoffman from movie Outbreak              *
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[Posted in FML issue 1573]