I let my Patches go today during surgery.  She had lymphosarcoma.  She had
tumors on her liver, pancreas, spleen, several in her intestines and some
in her lymph nodes.  She wouldn't have lasted 2 more weeks so we gently
helped her to cross over now before she was in pain.
 
It was very hard but I'm glad that she didn't suffer.  I'm also glad that
this whole thing was so fast.  For my sake as well as hers.
 
I have a very troublesome question to ask of you guys.  Is lymphosarcoma
truely viral and will my other ferrets die from it now also?  I need an
answer to this because I am supposed to bring a new baby ferret into my
household in four more weeks.  I had him ordered before he was bred and
before I knew about Patches.  If anyone out there has experienced
lymphosarcoma in more than one ferret or in cage mates please tell me.  If
there is a danger to a new ferret I won't bring another one into my group.
 
Thanks to all the words of support I got from everyone.  You guys are
wonderful.
 
Patches was one of our greatest treasures.  She was my husband's only ever
pet.  She was Ohio State University's first mandable bone tumor removal
from a ferret and made the medical journal.  She was the first animal I
have loved in over 10yrs.
 
We will miss her.
 
Barb Stewart and all our fuzzies and one angel fuzzie
[Posted in FML issue 2706]