Hi all,
we got the new boy today, we tried to go yesterday but the manager at the
shelter wouldn't let us bring him home because they were "closed" to the
public.  Kinda ticked me off since I work in the hospital part, andhe
REALLY needs the TLC.  The vets there checked him out, and they were going
to put him down if I didn't take him deeming him "unadoptable" because of
his weakened state.  Mybest guess is that he's over 3 due to his teeth, and
he was on the street for quite a while, mats in his coat, soooo thin, and
his ears were so black with grime that he probably had the world's biggest
colony of mites living in them!  But oh what a shine in his eyes...this guy
wants to live, and is incredibly sweet.  I got him home about 2pm, and he
had very limited use of his hind end, mostly dragging himself.  After 3
feedings of duck soup and lots of pedialyte, he's up and walking although
very weak still.  I'm pretty disappointed with the shelter care he did NOT
recieve, his nails were so long and he had bits of thread hanging out of
each of them, his coat is filthy, although no fleas so I'm staving off the
bath for now till he gets a little more energy.  We're going to call him
Pheonix because he literally is rising from the dead just about....it suits
him well.  I'm sure a lot of you shelter mom's have seen ferrets in such a
weakened state, and I really think he will get his strengthback to walk
again.  No hair loss, so i don't think adrenal is an issue, but I realize
he could have an underlying insulinoma, so it will be off to the vet soon
for bloodwork to make sure.  Someone else posted about knowing animals and
knowing that spark in the eye, so yes, even thoughI barely know this little
guy, he deserves a chance at least.
 
Take care,
Michele & the fuzzy bunch
[Posted in FML issue 2804]