Sometimes, the worst part of a shelter mom's job is dealing with the
money woes.  Rufus is still in critical condition tonight at the vet's
office.  He's been placed on an IV catheder and a unary cathader too.
His bladder is blocked from prostate enlargement and his kidneys are
failing from the dehydration.  He needs IV fluids to bring his kidneys
back to life but his prostate is preventing him from urinating so he also
needs a cathader to allow him to drain his baldder.
 
Our vet's office closes at 8pm.  The vet stayed late tonight to ensure
Rufus was as comfortable as he could be before she left.  Her advice
was for us to have Rufus taken to the all night emergency clinic for
over-night observation.  She is worried that Rufus will pull out his IV
or worse - his urnary catheder.  Either could prove fatal to this kid.
Without his urnary cath, his baldder could burst from all the fluids
going into his veins from the IV and if the IV is pulled out, his
kidneys could go into shock from the dehydration.
 
Having to make the call on not taking him to a very expensive all night
clinic is a hard descision.  One i may regret in the morning if he
doesn't make it.  His bill so far is topping $800 and had we taken him
to the over night clinic, would have added another $500-$600 just for
the night.  Now if he were my own kid, i would have sold my soul to the
devil, sold my blood, done whatever it took to get the money to save him,
care for him, make him better.  But, when you have 40 or 50 other ferrets
depending on you, your money, your fund-raising, is that really
responcable?  I don't know the answers tonight.  I don't know if i made
the right descisions.  If he lives through the night, then i would have
to say that i did what was right and if he doesn't, i will forever
second guess myself.  Not that we even have the $800 he already cost.
 
Tonight i am hurting for Rufus, i am angry at the people that were
suposed to be caring for this little boy child, a once lovely, happy and
full of life boy.  A full of life and personality kid who made everyone
smile.  Now this child of mine is a lump of bones, tucked away in a vet
office, alone and scared.  He should have been taken care of a long time
ago.  I somehow feel like this is my fault.  I adopted to these people -
i trusted them.  Not only did they betray my trust, they betrayed my
Rufus too.
 
Please keep Rufus in your thoughts, please hope with me that he pulls
through this cold winter's night.
 
Miss Randy Melanie Belair
President
The Ferret Aid Society
www.ferretaid.org <http://www.ferretaid.org/>
 
Join us for the IFC Ferret Aid 2006 Conference!
Book early, almost 1/2 sold out!!
http://www.ferretaid.org/events/ferret_aid_2006.html
[Posted in FML issue 5099]