[Before I begin I want to say I meant for this to be in last nite's FML
but BIG'S Cybers**t  (OOPS meant Cyberfert there, he he he he he, just
kidding Big<GG>) pooter kicked it back at me after I done felled asleep
and so I didn't know it till tonite.  Pooey!  So the days will be a bit
off in this.]
 
Hi Everyone,
 
Well I am finally back from pooter limbo land.<GGG> No one had a clue what
was happening with this beast this time until I called my dear FML friend
Katie Walker long distance to check on some things.  I mentioned the problem
and she knew exactly what was going on because it used to occur to their
college computers all the time.  In the end I only needed to go under the
control panels and toss the Easy Access one into the trash and problem
solved!  YAY!!
 
Well hopefully my friend David told you that Larry had his Adrenal Surgery
on Thursday.  He came thru great and was all wiggly and ready to go home
shortly after coming out of the anesthesia.  He has been home for 3 days as
of when you will read this on the FML.  He is eating and doing well and just
tonite he wanted out of the cage to join up with the rest of The FANG GANG
and so I let him.  He went straight to a hidey hole where about 5 or 6 of
them sleep together and went right to sleep.  I am very relieved!:-)
 
Oh, by the way I have had a major wonderful thing happen thru all this too.
You see I got this terrible feeling about having the Petsmart vets doing the
shelter work as I found out later none of them have done these basic
operations on ferrets but for one vet who has done "1" adrenal surgery.
YIKES!!  They also ONLY do surgery if ABSOLUTELY necessary and they couldn't
give me a good description of how they determine if something is absolutewly
necessary.  I figured if I went to them for the exams and diagnosis I would
just have ended up wasting the wonderful donation money my boys received for
their care (THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!) because they very likely would then say no
to doing the surgery.  Thay had no experience either and that troubled me
greatly.  So I kept on calling vets and finally found what we feel is our
ANGEL VET.  He has done a great deal of every surgery I can think of on
ferrets and he is very up to date on his info.  too.  I asked him lots of
questions and he always had the right answer.  He is probably in his 30's so
should be around a long time <GG> and he jumped at the chance to work with
us.  The owner of the practice is a different vet there that also knows
ferrets just not quite so well.  I took Silver in to him and she was
diagnosed with an enlarged spleen to be removed in a few weeks after the 3
other boys get taken care of.  Then we talked discounts for the shelter and
he agreed on 10%.  That may not seem like a lot but his prices to begin with
were way below everyone elses.  For Larry's Adrenal Surgery plus a pain shot
and two take home meds came to $180something, not sure of the exact amount
since the treasurer (MOM) has all the records at her home.:-) Plus I had a
funny feeling Dr. Koob the ANGEL VET would come thru in ways that would
discount it further <GGGGG>.
 
BTW in case anyone else is wondering and since it was recently mentioned to
me, YES my Mom has a real name but she absolutely hates her name and
introduces herself to EVERYONE as MOM!  So I am not denegrating her or
giving her less respect because I do not say her name but rather I am
respecting her wishes to not be introduced by her real name.  And so she is
and always will be MOM!  A very wonderful and special MOM too.  I and the
ferts all oughta know!  <GGG>
 
Today is Saturday and this morning Otee goes in to have a catheter put in
his little wee wee and then x-rays etc..  to try and determine the cause of
his dribbling pee.  It is so bad now that it has scalded ALL the hair off
from down there!  So we have to see if there is a deformity in the growth of
the penis or an infection or an injury etc... Also I believe he is doing
blood tests too to try and see what they might show.  I am still prepared
for a possible adrenal problem with him too.  Then on Monday little Stryker
goes in to have about the last 1/2 inch of his tail removed to get all of
the tumor thingy.  Then it will be sent for testing to determine exactly
what it was.
 
I heard from someone that said that I am real quick to always ask for help
if I need it but I do not follow up on what is happening.  Actually I do.  I
have mentioned the problems getting a good vet for these two boys now in
many posts as time has passed.  I was not going to let the wrong doctor cut
into them and have them die due to my impatience to get it done.  I had to
feel right about it or just keep on waiting and looking for another vet.
When I finally found this vet I set up the 3 surgeries that very day on
Tuesday, to be done on Thursday, Saturday and Monday.  Pretty fast I
believe.  When you heard nothing from me it was simply because nothing had
changed with them.  I did keep mentioning vet problems during that time tho.
We were still trying desperately to find an experienced vet even if he if
wouldn't give us a discount.  I just wanted someone that knew what they were
doing no matter what the cost.  I feel now that my patience has paid off in
finding a very experienced and caring vet that seems to truly love little
ferts and helping the shelter too.  When I took in the 4 boys for exams and
diagnosis etc..  he charged me for only "1" exam fee!!  I am overjoyed that
I have found such a fantastic vet here like I have heard of other shelters
having where they are.  This vet, Dr. Koob, even OK'd me coming in from time
to time to see the actual surgeries performed.  I asked him about teaching
me some things I would need to know with running the shelter and he was very
receptive to doing that.  This man will be a wealth of information for me to
learn from and I can tell he will be a wonderful teacher as well.  He has a
good sense of humor and was really a very nice man, even MOM felt that
too.<GGG>
 
So I better get off here now and try to finish the dang newsletter, almost
done (fingers crossed).  I really apologise for this being so *^&%&*) late
but with the pooter freaking out and then I had teeth problems that landed
me in the emergency room a couple nites ago to get a pain shot then to the
dentist the next two days and finding two teeth, molars, on the left side
that had big ol' cracks inside them.  One had to go bye bye and was pulled
on the spot the other he thinks he got the crack drilled out of and it is
saveable but only time will tell for sure.  So with all this real unexpected
stuff happening the newsletter got trapped in the pooter and has now ended
up later than I ever thought possible.  I hope to be able to mail the dang
thing out tomorrow or Monday at the latest.  I do have out of town company
arriving tomorrow and staying for 4 days so I will have to squeeze it in if
I can't finish tonite.  I do believe she will be taking my sweet Cloud
Dancing home with her and she even wants to keep the name I have chosen for
him:-) That makes me soooo very happy!  I will write tonite after Otee comes
home from the vet to tell you all what happened.  THANKS ALL!!  Off to the
newsletter now, TNT!
 
PS : I did finish the darn newsletter Saturday morning and it will be in the
mail to you all on Monday, my Apologies To You All Again!
 
Also Otee came back from the vet today and we were told he has a raging
bladder infection ascending.  Also the sheath for his penis to come out of
when he potties was too small for him to get it out of it very well so our
Angel Vet had to operate and make the opening bigger.  Not an inexpensive
operation either:-( Hopefully once healed it will all work like new and
without problems like dribbling, infections, etc... He refused to stay in
the cage for even 5 minutes after coming home and already has gotten into a
scrape with Tribble over the space on the bathroom floor tonite<GG>
 
Boy you just can't keep a good ferret down huh?  LOL!  Now I just need to
come up with a surefire fundraiser or something to rebuild our shelter fund
as after all these kids it will be very bare indeed.  Anyone have a great
fundraiser idea for us??  Send them my way please, we need all the ideas we
can get!  TNT!
 
Kelleen & The FANG GANG                F.A.N.G. Shelter & Club
 
(No signature lines tonite BIG.  Due to excessive length I left it off.
THANKS!)
[Posted in FML issue 1618]