Just a quick up-date on Oliver.  He's doing fine now, the abscess which came
up on his neck on Christmas Eve has gone just leaving a small bald patch.
Oliver has settled in with Brock, Spooky, Lulu and Amanda.
 
I received a 'phone call around 2pm today - the owners of a ferret were
rather worried about her as she wasn't eating and kept falling over.  I was
also informed that her companion had died a few days previously.  Ron and I
went up to the house where the ferret was in the living room lying in a
straw filled box.  I picked the ferret up and was horrified to find that it
was cold and I could feel every bone in its body.  Ron and I beat a retreat
clutching the very sick ferret.  When we got home a felt inside the ferrets
mouth and my heart sank when it felt icy cold:-(
 
I put the ferret on a heat pad, covered it with tin foil and a couple of
blankets - it was really suffering from hypothermia as well as starving, the
main priority was to get her temperature up.
 
When her body temperature had been gently raised I managed to get her to
take some glucose.  Half an hour later she was lapping on her own and even
attempting to sample a bit of Ferret Complete.
 
When I weighed her she was only 7oz just over a pound underweight!  I'm not
sure if she's going to make it but I know one thing if we'd been delayed by
30 minutes in picking her up she would have been visiting Rainbow Bridge and
not be wrapped up snuggly in a pile of blankets in front of the fire.  Her
owners also have two more ferrets and I'm wondering just what sort of state
they are in.  Anyway I think as far as her owners are concerned this little
girl will be crossing RB tonight - I reckon she needs at least a month of
TLC before she can look the world in eye.  She has had a little wander
around our living room, a bit wobbly but a least a vast improvement on her
previous state.
 
I must go now and brew up some "Duck Soup" for the little girl - it'll be UK
version but I reckon it'll do the trick.
 
A Happy New Year to everyone.
 
Sheila
 
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http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm
Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the
National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK
The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS
[Posted in FML issue 1802]