Here is an update on my Maggie Mae.  Thank you Sukie for your
information.  I contacted Dr. Fisher in VA and he is willing to consult
with my vet locally on her care and treatment.  This is a Deadly
infection if not cared for aggressively from the start.  She suffered a
severe neck and esophagus injury about a week and a half ago while at
another person's house.  That person had let her free roam and she got
stuck between two peices of furniture, I was told.  This then developed
into pyothorax.
 
Here are too good articles on this if anyone wants to read them:
http://www.petplace.com/cats/pyothorax-in-cats/page1.aspx
 
<http://www.petplace.com/netscape/nsArtPrinterFriendly.asp?all=1&conID=14240>
 
Her care will be ongoing for over a year.  She will need chest taps for
over 10 days or until there is no sign of infection.  A culture was sent
out to see what the infection is and we won't know the results until
Monday.  She will then need strong antibodics for 8 weeks with periodic
chest x-rays (weekly for the first several months) into monthly for a
year.  If she makes it through the year, she will be considered healed.
The key is not to give up on this issue or let it go because she act
better.  Chest infections are from what I read very, very hard to cure
or get rid of.
 
She will be coming home on Monday and continueing the chest tapping from
a local vet.  Where she is now, she can't give her around the clock care
as far as feeding, and dosing of the antibodics.  So I will do that here
at home.  I will take her in 1 time a day for a chest tap and an x-ray.
 
As of yesterday, her color was beginning to come back.  At one point we
thought she may need a blood transfusion.  So that is one more small tiny
step in the right direction.  The vet also did not get lot of pus out.
The first day there was 60cc of pus in her chest.  The second tapping
there was only about 20cc.  We seem to have the infection isolated to the
right side only.  I am hoping we caught this very early on.  That also
seems to be the key in survival.  We are going to be discussing a chest
tube for the remaining tappings so she does not have to be put under all
the time.  This is an extremely painful proceedure to be put through
everyday.
 
Please-Please-Please........make sure you are totally ferret-proofed if
you are going to free roam.  I don't like free roam, never did.  I hear
way too many stories about way to many accidents which could have been
avoided.  Martin's cages makes wonderful playpens which keep our ferrets
safe.  This entire suffering on Maggie's part could have been avoided at
the person, who's care she was in, would have done the same.  My bills
for Maggie will be over $5000.00+ by the end of the year or until she is
completely recovered.  Plus all the pain and suffering Maggie is going
through........it was certainly not worth 10 minutes of free roam.
 
On our Shelter note, due to this issue, we currently not taking in any
more ferrets.  This will financially drain us, and we can't put anymore
on our plates.  We will continue to do adoptions, but accepting of
ferrets is on hold for upwards to a year.  I will have to do long term
rehab, vet runs, I had to get a job to pay for all of this care, and our
family can't pay for both the shelter costs/medical tab and this high
medical bill.  It is also not fair to the shelter ferrets to be put on
the back burner while I am working.  With the number I have now, I can
still keep up with the care and loving, but I can't add anymore to my
plate at this time.  It is ashame too, because I know the other shelters
in my area are full to the max.
 
I thankfully have a wonderful boss who will let me bring Maggie to work
with me and is letting me set up an entire playpen for her.  Please
keep Maggie in your prayers and thoughts.  I will continue to give you
updates.
 
Marguerite
[Posted in FML issue 5137]