Gosh darn!  ::itch itch itch:: Can you believe it?  I have worms again.
Or I let one loose on the FML.  A dirty, slimey, wiggley, creepy, crawly
worm.  One of the FML's dirty little secrets.
 
If you recall, I addressed the aging factor with ferrets and the skewed
image that is perceived here on the FML specifically.  Well, since
everyone accepted my ideas and discussed them with such grace and
respect, I'm going to unleash another issue.  I'm really excited that
everyone is thoughtfully approaching so many ideas and that the tone of
the FML has been so ... well, toned down.
 
Ready?  ::itch itch::  Okay.  The topic of the day, poppets, is surgery.
To cut, or not to cut, that is the question.  The skewed image here, to
the novice reader, is that everyone loves surgery and if at all possible,
they jump to the knife.  Cut it out, no more problem.  That's the
treatment, that's the proactive course to take.  It's a matter of common
sense.  What else would you consider?  No questions asked.  In fact, if
you opt to think twice about surgery, or to take other options into
consideration for a younger ferret (here we go with the age thing again
though ... what is young ... 4, 6, 8?), you face many questions here.
The questions, although well meaning, come out as being very judgmental.
They are direct and blunt.  "Well, why haven't you taken your ferret in
for surgery?"  "Just a simple surgery and the ferret will be cured.  I
don't understand your delay."  "The poor thing, you better get onto
surgery right away."  Etc, Etc, Etc.  Those are the typical examples that
I see far too often.  Many questions or comments here are much more ...
brash, no bold, no ... harsh.
 
But what is the reality behind the scenes.  What am I personally seeing
as I receive emails from literally hundreds of individuals a month?  I'm
seeing people speaking in whispers even in email as if the walls could
talk and report said conversations to the ferret nazi's on the FML.  What
am I hearing?  I'm hearing many people questioning surgery for adrenal
and insolinoma (not for other health problems, those are no brainers).
I'm hearing more people and shelters than you think, say that they don't
agree with surgery for an adrenal ferret or insolinomic ferret unless
they are a very young adult.  They don't dare say this.  I don't blame
them.
 
Okay so why do they tell me?  Well, because I'm Wolfy.  "Wolfy won't
tell ... she doesn't repeat things", "Wolfy isn't a scientific person or
health care worker, she won't have strong opinions either way", "Wolfy
never ever engage in debate on the FML and she's been on here since 98,
she won't argue with me", "Wolfys' safe, she walks the middle road cause
she's too busy being a spaz to pick and choose sides", "Wolfy will
LISTEN".
 
People relate to me that when they have a large number of ferrets to
compare with, or if they've had a long road of experiences to compare
with, that they don't see a marked difference in life span (and sometimes
quality of life) in a ferret that has adrenal surgery.  I don't mean the
1, 2, or 3 year old.  But older.  People tell me that most of the time
when a ferret has adrenal surgery, the other gland is sure to go within a
short period of time ..  such as a year or so which means two surgeries.
Untreated, sometimes a female ferret has just as good quality of life
without the stress of opening her up for the same or longer period of
time.  So you have ferret A who eventually has two surgeries within two
years, and ferret B who has some hair loss and who is going about its
normal life with very little uncomfortable symptoms.  Ferret B, has no
risk of being lost to surgery (which happens).  What to do.  If both
have their advantages or disadvantages either way, why do so many people
knock this?
 
What amazes me is that those who choose Lupron/melantonin (which is most
people who don't do surgery), they are still criticized.  It's a personal
choice that must be made according to the individual animal and the
individual persons circumstances.  I'm not going to criticize someone who
chooses surgery in a seven year old healthy ferret.  I'm not going to
criticize someone who chooses no surgery in a five year old ferret.  When
you're talking about ferrets who are 8 or older, or 3 and younger, well
then you are getting into gray areas in my opinion.
 
I don't mind other peoples opinions.  Even if they are very passionate.
What I do mind is the skewed image here that most people do surgery when
they don't.  I do mind when that occasional person who does like surgery,
comes across as critical (even though they don't mean to) when others
don't opt for it.  What's funny to me, is you will never see the people
who don't choose surgery, questioning why the prosurgery person is
putting their elderly ferret through two adrenal surgeries and a
pancreatectomy.  Yet, they would have a valid point.  But why don't
they?  Because this is America.  And many times the minority has a
louder voice than the majority whether they are right or not.
 
What are my beliefs?  Who cares.  That's not why I"m posting and it
doesn't matter what some spaz thinks.  I'm just being open with a secret
here.  I only bring it up, because I don't want newcomers to see only one
side of something.  And I don't want owners who do things differently to
feel alone.  Whether they are right or wrong is not the point here.
 
:: WHACK::  Missed!
 
Wolfy
http://wolfysluv.jacksnet.com
[Posted in FML issue 4801]