Hi Everyone!  Greetings from behind the Zion Curtain!
 
I, for one, want to go on record as saying that John Gordon is one helluva
guy and adores his ferrets.  I know this.  He offers encouragement and
support and the occasional correct nudge in the right direction.  John,
I'm proud to call you my friend!
 
And, everyone, trust your instincts.  I knew something was "not quite
right" with "The Man" Mr. Pato for a couple of months.  But I kept on
telling myself it's "just stress," etc., etc.  I put off that thickening of
the skin on his neck to my overprotectiveness (cause they DO have tougher
skin) on their necks......).  But, when I took him to the vets, I had to
face what I already knew.  My little boy has adrenal disease.  His hair was
thinning on his neck and tail (actually, the underneath - as in part that
faces the ground - of his tail is almost bald...), he was so aggressive
that I couldn't put anyone in the cage with him cause I can't stand to
hear them squeek (porcelain ferrets, don't you know?  - But he's ok at
playtime.....)  But the wierdest thing was that neck.  The vet says he's
never seen one himself like that, but that it is a hormonal thing, I guess
like a hob's neck would be in season.  But then, I don't have any hob's
either in or out of season, so I wouldn't have the faintest idea.  He put
my boy on Lupron because he feels that they come back in two years for
surgery anyway.  This vet is good and does "know his stuff."  But I will
admit to asking for second and third opinions from other vets.
 
Thank you, Dr. Weiss, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to
email me.  I will find a way to put the funds together (it seems adrenal
surgery here in my area is around $600) and ask Dr. Folland to operate
anyway.  I only want the best for my man.  But, I'm going to keep him on
the Lupron in the meantime.
 
Funny note here, but when my vet quoted me the cost for adrenal surgery
I almost fell out of my seat.  I was prepared for $400 or so, but $600+?
And, I've heard that it varies across the country.  Well, you guys can
laugh at me all you want, but I'll tell a story on myself.  I have an
opportunity to go to the Denver area for a work related series of meetings.
Hadn't been too interested before, but, hey, Alameda East of Emergency
Vet's fame is there, right?  Nothing but the best for Pato, right?  I
work here in the Diocese with someone who lived there and used to go the
Alameda.  She says they are the best!  So I figure, I'll give them a call.
I ask for their price quote.  She say's she'll give me "his voice mail."
So, there I'm put through to the gorgeous Dr. Fitzgerald's voice mail.  I
leave my message and number and figure, "Yeah, right, this guy's not gonna
call me.  He'll think I'm a crazed EV fan (not TOO crazed, actually,
but......LOL!) and he's too busy for that stuff.  Well, about 45 minutes
later, when my mind was actually on work issues, I get a call.  It was DR.
FITZ!  He actually returned my call and spoke with me for a decent amount
of time on his opinion.  And he told me the price would be about the same
there at Alameda.  (His voice is even more incredible on the phone than on
the television)  And you know what, this 41 year old drooling woman didn't
even drool or enjoy the moment (as it were) because all I could think about
was my little man and what was best for him.
 
Hat's off to vet's like Dr. Weiss and Dr. Fitzgerald and my vet, Dr.
Folland who truly care about their patients and the people who love them.
 
I do, too, want to make clear that just because I sought second and third
opinions doesn't mean that I don't trust Dr. Folland.  I do, and don't
hesitate to refer people to him.  It' just, well, you know.  At least I
hope you all do.
 
It's just Pato, and I'm scared.
 
Catherine, Pato, Snowball, Hubert, and Elsie
"Behind the Zion Curtain"
[Posted in FML issue 3120]