This morning, my little butterscotch mitt, Frankie, died quite suddenly and
unexpectedly.  She was gagging just a little, kind of like someone with mild
congestion, and I was trying to help her drink some water or eat a bit.
Finally I gave her a touch of Laxatone thinking that maybe she had hairballs
because she was having trouble going to the bathroom.  Meanwhile, I was
already preparing to take her to the vet if she still didn't seem
comfortable.  Five minutes later, I found her on the rug in the hallway,
limp and lifeless.  Of course, I rushed her to the vet, but when we got
there, her tongue was already blue and her body was getting cold.  There was
nothing they could do.
 
A necropsy showed lymphosarcoma based on a greatly enlarged spleen, damaged
liver, and lymph nodes in one of her intestines.  That explains why she
could barely eat.  Before today, I could see no sign of illness.  She had
lost a couple of ounces and I was trying to give her extra treats, thinking
that maybe her gums hurt because she just got her teeth cleaned about a week
ago.  No unusual stools or vomit.  She seemed comfortable and followed me to
the kitchen every morning for treats.  No enlarged glands like one often
sees with lymphosarcoma.  At least she probably wasn't in much pain until
the very end.
 
I'm broken-hearted.  I know little Angel will miss her; they were good
buddies.  Angel followed her around the house.  Frankie was a spunky girl.
She didn't pick fights with the other ferrets, but she sured finished them
off if the others challenged her.  She was the littlest one of all, and
people always loved her sweet, gentle personality.  She was a rescued ferret
who had wandered into the wilderness and was near starvation when a rural
family found her.  She went into heat and needed to be spayed; that's when I
got her.  The first three times I took her to see a vet, she wet on me
because she was so scared.  Her favorite game was to gallop around the
living room from one hiding place to the next while I chased her.
 
We love you very much, Frankie, and we will miss you.  We look forward to
seeing you one day at the Rainbow Bridge.
 
                Linda, Esperanza, Frankie, and Lucky Charm
[Posted in FML issue 1894]