If you have such a good relationship with your vet, you should be
able to work out some sort of payment plan; something you are both
comfortable with. Have you always paid your vet bills on time? If he
sees you as "good for the money", I don't see what the problem is. If
he doesn't want to finance it himself, most vets offer some sort of
credit plan through an outside company.

Now is the time to get your vet to work with you. I assume, from your
tagline, that you have multiple ferrets (or other pets), so this is
bound to happen again and again. An emergency or impending surgery is
stressful enough without the added worry of how you're going to pay
for it.

[Posted in FML 5664]