As fate would have it, I did end up with a Petstore kit.  If you remember
a few weeks ago I started checking up on the Petco kits and found a few
very sick kits at one store.  Even though I offered to but the sickest one
if they would give me a discount, they declined.  I have found out, unless
they are lying to me, that they all got better and were sold.  I'm not
sure if I believe it or not.
 
I work at Petsmart, (we don't sell ferets), across the street is a Petco.
On Friday a woman and her young daughter came into the store with a box, I
was in the office and the cashier said look at athe baby ferret, I jumped
up and went to look.  I figured they just bought the kit and were in to
buy supplies for her.
 
They found her on the lawn by a middle school.  they saw my truck parked
outside with the ferret rescue sign and came in to give me the ferret.
What I saw a a wet tiny little kit, when I picked her up she weighed
nothing, a bag of bones.  she had dark runny stool caked on her tail and
bottom.  She could not hold her head up or stand, her eyes were squinty,
as if in discomfort.
 
while I took the baby to start administering care, my other co-worker got
info on where the baby was found and gave the woman my number in case any
one was looking for her.
 
First I warmed her up and dried her off.  We got a dropper, some water and
electrolites and gave it to her, she drank up eagerly.  since I had no
duck soup at work, we opened a can of ferret food.  she didn't realy want
it but we made her eat some.
 
when she was done I started to clean her bottom, she has no hair on her
belly and you can see where the spay had been done, its a recent closure,
looked like it had opened at one point.  Her coat is thin and bare in
places, and again she is all bones with skin draped over it.
 
She went potty a while later and it was pee and a thick, smelly, runny,
dark poop.  she went to sleep again and slept mostly all day while was at
work.  She also has very small, new adulth teeth?  The poor thing had
food and Nutrical stuck all over her face when I was done with her!
 
So now I'm thinking, how the heck did a kit this small and frail get loose
from anyone's home?  she can't even walk.  Why would someone buy her and
see that she was sick and not try to go back and get another one or their
money back, would they just let her go?  she was found close to my store
and the Petco.  i have no doubt that she is a Petco baby.  but how did
she get on a lawn?  I'm baffled.
 
she was wet from what looked like dog slobber, and consistant with a dogs
mouth.  she appears to have no injuries.
 
I started her on Amoxi, and will call my vet at home today to see what
else to do.  she will go to the vet on Monday.  I am keeping her isolated
until we find out what is wrong with her.  Maybe just young and weak, I
dunno at this point.
 
I call her Bones, short for Boney Marony.  She is eating duck soup like a
pig now, and loves water.  Her stools are still nasty for now.
 
Ok, now any ideas on how she came about to end up on a lawn?  Thankfully
its not summer here.  Also if the owners claim her and want to bring her
back to Petco, what should I do.  My mom just gave me a hundred dollars
for groceries, but if need be I'll pay the owners for the ferret.  I can't
bear the though of her going somewhere where she will not be taken care of.
 
I will also have her ADV tested, the only test I have access to is from
my vet and it will cost $75, it is an accurate blood test.
 
On that note, I've been hearing that the saliva test is not accurate,
so what will be the best way for me as a shelter to accuratly test the
ferrets without having to sell my truck to do it.  I know I need to test
everyone, but at $75 a pop I can only do it when I can.  I now some of
you may think well just shut the shelter down if you can't test.  But
think about it, will this stop ADV, no.  what will happen to all the
ferrets in Vegas, i'm the only shelter and they need a place to go.
 
I really need help here, I want to ADV test everyone, using a reliable
method.  right now I don't have the extra funds to buy all the tests
needed.  Please only helpful advice, i don't have time for bashing.  If
you think you can help please e mail me.  I will be doing my taxes next
week, I hope to have some money for testing.
 
Don't get me wrong, the shelter has enought money for food, litter,
everyday vet bills, or my vet will bill me, my bill is around $800 right
now.  The ferrets are not hurting for anything.  I run a good shelter, a
large shelter at times and do California rescue.  I am needed here, i
neeed to do all the right thinks so I can continue to help ferrets.
 
Thanks for all your time, keep little Bones in your thoughts, as she is
not out of the woods yet.
 
Take care,
CJ
24 Carat Ferret Rescue And Shelter
Las Vegas, Nv
[Posted in FML issue 3703]