It is with incredible sadness that I post this memoriam to Potpie, who I
had euthanized today.  She was suffering from advanced insulinoma.
 
Back in 1992 I decided I wanted a ferret and that I would name this ferret
'Potpie'.  I bought Chuck and Fox Morton's book, and as ferrets were
illegal in Michigan at the time, called vets and pet stores in northern
Ohio.  One of the vets gave me contact info for someone who delivered
ferrets via air from Path Valley; I requested a sable female and a few
months later a very smelly, noisy, tiny 6-week old ferret was flown into
Toledo.  I had a friend pick her up as I was working and my car was in poor
shape, and when I got her from his place later that evening, he heaved a
sigh of relief that I'd come to take this honking, stinky thing from him.
Potpie promptly backed up and pooped on his carpet.
 
In the seven years that followed, Potpie trained me far more than I ever
trained her.  She was a very sober, practical ferret who always won over
whoever she met, even if they'd only had bad ferret experiences before.
She never liked other ferrets, and as a result was an 'only' ferret all
her life, with her own cage and play area.  I may be over-personifying her
a bit by saying that, perhaps as a result of being an 'only' ferret, she
had an unusual understanding of and connection to people.  There are many
things I could share about Potpie, but among my favorite quirks of hers was
the way she'd run up to me and put one of her paws atop my foot when she
wanted my attention.
 
Last summer Potpie was diagnosed with insulinoma, and many of you will be
familiar with the slowly escalating drug regimen that accompanies the
course of the disease.  I came very close to making that last appt with the
vet many times, but was always willing to try another increase in the dose
of pred or proglycem.  The last, substantial dosage increase didn't result
in a significant improvement in her condition, so I made an appointment to
have my vet make a house call and have her put Potpie to sleep at home.
Potpie had been suffering regular insulinoma fits during her playtime and
for some amount of time before each of her 2x/day medicine doses.  She was
still often alert and affectionate, but just as often very dazed, weak, and
in discomfort due to the effects of insulinoma.  I decided I didn't want
her to decline to the point where she was always unhappy.
 
I am relieved that I could provide her with an escape from her condition,
but am grievously saddened by her departure.  I will miss her very, very
much.
 
Melissa
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2941]