On a sad note - Bonnie died Tuesday December 27 at 8:00 pm.  I had
taken her that day to have a simple biopsy and spleen aspirate, a
minor surgery that became deadly to Bonnie.  Bonnie was 8 months old
and suffering from lymphoma (we are still waiting for the pathology
report from Dr. Williams to confirm this diagnosis).  She had lost
the use of her back legs although she still had feeling in them, she
just could not walk on them.  I had taken her to the doctor 3 times
but because of her symptoms (which were possibly indicating something
other than lymphoma) we had not arrived at a definite diagnosis.  We
had started her on Prelone and Amoxy the week before with little
results.  The day of her biopsy she seemed no different than the day
before.  When I arrived to pick her up from the vet she had not yet
come out of the anethesia which was strange because with Isoflurine (sp)
they are up and awake within minutes after the mask is removed.  When
she heard my voice she tried to wake up but only managed to barely lift
her head before it flopped over.  I gently reached down and held her
to my chest where she seemed to relax for quite some time.  Her eyes
never fully opened.  We drove home and I again held her for about
20 minutes before I put her in the donut bed for the others to see
and love her.  Minutes after I watched helplessly and hopelessly as
she gasped her final breaths.  I tried mouth to mouth with no response
and knew she had finally given up.  She died at home where she wanted to
be.
 
Thanks to all who sent cards and donations. I had a necropsy performed
on Bonnie in hopes that we would find out why she died.  The necropsy
was unable to tell us anything more than her liver, spleen and kidneys
had been infected.  Her blood also had not clotted from the spleen
aspirate but not enough to have caused her death.  Again, my questions
go unanswered for this very real ferret disease.
 
Linda - My condolences on your loss.  My tears are for your little one too.
 
Vixen will not be with us much longer.  She is skin and bones even though
her appetite is still good.  Each day I pray she will be alive as I look
for her to feed her.  She is not in pain and my only wish is that she
dies softly and quietly in her sleep.  It is so painful to watch them
without being able to do anything.  Perhaps if the researchers had to
watch them die a little more each day they would feel differently about
"creating" studies that are essentially not needed or necessary.
 
Newspaper articles - A while back I requested ferret articles but forgot
to clarify "newspaper articles".  Please send any newspaper articles you
have or find so I can compile a book.  Send them to: Ferret Family Services,
PO Box 186, Manhattan,  KS  66502.
 
Hugs to all.  tle
[Posted in FML issue 1064]