Hello FMLers,
 
It's been a few years since I've posted to the FML.  I wanted to take
this opportunity to post and say hello to all the old timers, i.e.:
Sukie and Lisa.  :waving, remember me?:
 
All but one of the ferrets has passed over the last 14 months.  Shiva
passed in September of last year.  We figure Shiva was somewhere around
the age of 9 years.  I adopted her when she was 4 years.  Sadly her last
day was miserable.  The vet that saw her on her last day said she was the
oldest ferret he d ever seen.
 
Maxie passed in May of this year.  Her passing was strange.  One moment
she was fine, the next second she was falling down and lethargic after
eating.  She had a cyst that had grown on the inner wall of her
intestines and it took her life a few hours later.  Maxie was 6 years
of age.
 
Tony "Macaroni" passed a month later in June.  We thought he had Adrenal
Disease but his exploratory told otherwise.  He had Lymph sarcoma.  We
treated him with vitamins for six very comfortable months.  His tumors
just eventually became too big.  Tony was 5 years of age 4 months shy of
being 6 years.
 
Samantha passed away in her sleep on November 15th.  She was suffering
from severe periodontitis and had mass cell tumors on her skin.  (I thank
the higher power for the tumor freezing surgeries vets do to ferrets
now.) On Halloween she was diagnosed with Insulinoma.  She had also had
Adrenal Surgery in October of last year.  She had no signs of
re-occurring symptoms.  Samantha was at least 6 years old, she was a
rescue given to me with Miss Wiggles by Dayna Frasier.  She could have
been as old as 7 or 8 years of age.
 
I still have Rosie though, the first ferret decided to stay and be the
last.  She's spoiled!  She's had two Adrenal Surgeries, one in August of
last year and one on Halloween.  Poor little one only has about 1/16th
of her main gland left and we've only have had one Adrenaline crash.
She has recovered nicely.  Rosie's hair is soft and thick now and she's
perky.  I am very proud of her and am most happy in the mornings when she
still war dances for me.  The dance has less gusto, but it s still there.
She will be an only Ferret from here on out until she passes.  Right now
Rosie is 6 years of age; she will be 7 in January.
 
When she does pass however, I'm going to re-write the existing Adventure
books, as well as, write a few more and try to have them professionally
published in hardcover children's books.
 
It's been a difficult year watching the ferrets get old and pass.  That's
all I have to say about that, I'm going to sign off now for fear I'm
reaching the max amount of characters the FML allows.
 
Lisa
[Posted in FML issue 3990]