Hail to all shelters.  Tell me, is this the worst dump season ever?
 
I've been sheltering for 10 years, and all of us here in Maryland are
over run with dumps.  I know it's horrible everywhere, and then came the
storm.  Lord oh mercy!  Anything after the storms are so lame, yet we
listen, and take them in.  I try to patient and polite, but I so want to
just throw my hand up in front the surrenderer's face, and say, "talk to
the hand".  I've heard it all before, and today's excuses are lamer than
ever.  The kids are coming in with "I got them for Easter, and didn't
know they could stink so bad.  My kid has gone to college and we don't
want to care for them..  I found this in my garage".....the list goes
on and on with why these ferrets have come to us, the shelters.
 
A by-note; Thanks to Laura (Ferretocious) and Anne Ryan for opening up
the discussion of what a "real" shelter is.  Something good can come
from....misunderstandings.
 
On September 16th, I received Emma.  The surrenderer called and said
she had been passed this ferret from someone else, that it was found
in a parking lot in Shrewsbury, Pa.  I asked her to come to Rocky's
immediately.
 
Volunteer, Linda W. (Grama on Rocky's Board), and I were working the Love
Shack and the Shelter.  FYI, Rocky's has two separate buildings.  One
for those that have received a United CEP Neg, and a vet exam, and those
that have not.  The public that comes to visit Rocky's does not come
into the isolation area, only the main shelter where all are ADV neg.
 
I received "Emma".  Her size and coat suggested she was a kit.  It was
obvious that there was a hind leg injury.  I thought it was a
dislocation.  I said to the surrendering party, and to my volunteer,
"I'm out of here".  On the way to the vet's , Chadwell Animal Hospital,
I called and said I'm bringing in an emergency.  I already had an Emma
so I told the receptionist I had a Chloe coming in.
 
We arrived, and were immediately taken in by Dr. Keith Gold.  By then I
was looking in the ferret's mouth, and a tech and I agreed we were not
dealing with a kit, but a mature ferret over a year old.  The xrays were
done.  Doc returned and posted on the wall the xrays.  The first thing I
noticed were some rings in her stomach.  Yep, she had ingested something
that looked like part of a chain, and it was unfortunately close to the
bottom of the stomach.
 
Next, Dr. Gold pointed out that both hind legs were broken.  The right
back had a spiral fracture, The bones were sitting side by side.  Next
was the left, and the entire leg was out of the hip and fractured.
 
These were not new fractures.  We now knew that we were dealing with a
ferret, over a year old, that had suffered these fractures many months
ago.  They were calcified.
 
As I worked through the explanation of the fractures on the xray, I
questioned one big one bone in the abdomen.  Dr. Gold explained to me,
that was Chloe's penis...yep, this itty bitty baby was a boy.  He could
have fit in a teacup.
 
His name is Clyde.  He weighed 365 grams, about 3/4 pound.  He was not a
surgical candidate for either his stomach foreign object, nor his back
legs.  Doc asked me to pump him up.  That I've done.  Clyde loves fresh
turkey soup.  He loves his water therapy.  We are working diligently to
pump him up to be the best surgical candidate he can be.  All the way,
hour to hour, worrying about the stomach obstruction.  All the volunteers
here at Rocky's love Clyde, and are cheering him on.  Clyde wants for
nothing.
 
When Clyde came into the Love Shack (Quarantine Building) there were many
other ferrets that had just been dumped.  I had someone ask me to do
their ADV CEP nail clips, and in turn, make a donation.  We are so broke,
and that made excellent sense to me to wait!  Especially since Clyde
would best off waiting a couple weeks for that blood letting!!!  Well,
that just worked out perfectly.  The last thing Clyde needed was to lose
blood and be stressed out.  So, I waited the two weeks, and all the kids
in the Love Shack were tested, along with this person's personals.  We
sent them all together and saved a bunch of money.  Got the call from
Becky at United this weekÅ.ALL NEGATIVE!!!  WOOHOOO!  Poor Clyde, I don't
believe I could have gotten a drop of blood out of him when he arrived as
it was, not to mention that it would have stressed out so bad!  Two weeks
later, and voila!
 
We have had two families interested in permanent adoption, and each has
an Ortho DVM on board.  We will be getting second and third opinions on
what is in Clyde's best interests.
 
I am grateful to Steve and Lynn Love that have offered to foster until
the permanent home is ready.
 
Clyde is a wonder.  I haven't posted anywhere about him, other than on
Rocky's or Pooflingers Message Boards, but we have one gentleman (John
Alan Larkin) that has offered to pay for Clyde's expenses.  Thank you
very much.  Please direct your donation to
"CLYDE" Chadwell Animal Hospital, 3004 Emmorton Rd., Abingdon, Md. 21009.
Rocky's is not yet, a 501c3 charity, if you need this as a tax deduction,
please write the SOS and earmark it for Rocky's/Clyde.  Thank you Cap,
and all, for loving Clyde.  Anyone wishing a copy of Clyde's vet file,
please write me, and I'll scan and send them to you.
 
In two weeks, we'll redo the xrays and doing bloodwork.  I'll keep
everyone posted.
 
Look forward to updates on our precious Clyde.
 
A side note.  Thank you to Chere and Anne Ryan.  The last several weeks
were very difficult for me.  Besides trying to manage Rocky's, my
elderly parents were one mile off the beach of Gulf Port (Long Beach) ,
Mississippi.  PTL, they were found alive 4 days after Katrina.  Their
survival was an absolute miracle.  I thank Rocky's and Pooflinger's
Board for all the prayers!  Anne even offered to re-home my folks.  I am
forever in her debt.  She never, for one moment, left me alone with my
despair during the storm.  Mom and dad are doing ok, and we are working
to get them out.  They are die hardsÅsadly, giving new definition to
that term.  Thank you Anne, and gee, they didn't even have fur for you
to care about!
 
Affectionately,
Barb Clay
Dir of Shelter Affairs for Rocky's
www.rockysferrets.com
ADV TEST:  You and Your vet have a need to know
[Posted in FML issue 5018]