Hi to my ferret family,
 
The most scary thing happened yesterday. I want you all to read this in
case it can help someone else. It was so awful that I don't want anyone
else to go through this.
 
For those of you who were too busy and *whooshed by * my last two posts
re: my little Fang's surgery; he went in Wed for insulinoma surgery ,vet
found right adrenal lump also; used the new cryosurgery for the first
time. Following the surgery the vet was concerned that Fang had bruised
excessively; beyond normal. He had found a *weird looking* liver, and I
asked if any of you had experience with livers...that is the beginning
of the frightening story I want to share with you: the plan was that I
was to drive down to the city and pick him up Thurs. at 5:00./  But at
noon Thurs. the vet called me to tell me that Fang had gone into a deep
depression, and that it would be good if I came down early just to hold
him. I threw things into the truck and decided to stay overnight in the
city just to be closer to him in case the vet decided I couldn't bring
him home as planned.    When I got there Fang was in serious trouble; he
wasn't clotting , even after the vitamin k he had been on the night
before when the vet took him home. His tummy was really a deep purple,
and everywhere he had been poked for all the tests, he had not clotted.
He was near death, in a strange place, and without the family he loved.
If I had known this, I would have driven down much earlier. I put him
inside the snugly I had made him for Christmas, and held him up against
my neck and cheek; I held him there for two hours in a room where I
could close the door and we could be alone. I told him about the bridge
and what a perfect ferret he had been, and how much he was loved. I
cried so hard that his little head was wet; he just whimpered little
sounds and then he picked up his little head to kiss me. The light in
his eyes had almost gone, and I told him it was okay for him to go. I
told him I would have his ashes in my bedroom, but that his little soul
would go to the bridge.  This vet had put three calls in to Dr. Weiss
prior to my arriving, not knowing what else could possibly be done. Dr.
Weiss was in surgery all day and had not returned his calls. While I was
saying good-bye to my baby, the vet tried one more time, and got Dr.
Weiss to come to the phone. They decided that Fang's only hope was to
find a donor to give blood that might clot in his little body. The vet
had two girls calling every ferret owner they knew, but in that half
hour everyone turned us down. This is a difficult thing for a fert owner
due to the fear of their ferret dying from anesthesia. I don't want this
to be rejected for length, so I will write the ending in part two.
 
Lizzi
[Posted in FML issue 2964]