TO: DEBBIE RICCIO
 
Please accept my deepest sympathies on the passing of your beloved Angel.
True, this was a terrible accident but I don't think you should be blaming
yourself.  Angel knows that you loved her and that you did everything you
could for her.  She will love you forever.  Take comfort in the fact that
she is at Rainbow Bridge --perhaps she will run into Sobriety there and they
will have a good time together.
 
Please know that I understand about bad vets.  I've decided to post my bad
vet story below.  Perhaps it will help to prevent someone from going through
what I went through.
 
BAD VET STORY:
 
Perhaps some of you may remember that my Misty was real sick last summer.
Unfortunately, this incident took place shortly before I became aware of the
FML.  Misty had been losing weight, losing hair, losing her appetitie,
chewing incessantly on toys (an odd behavior for her), and was just plain
lethargic.  (Not knowing too much about ferrets at the time, I thought her
teeth were bothering her, causing her not to eat) I called a local vet and
asked him if he knew about ferrets.  He said "Oh, yes, I know about ferrets,
I'll take a look at her." So, I packed her in the car and drove her down to
see him.  He checked her teeth and that was about all he checked (he did not
check heart or lungs or palpitate the abdomen --NOTHING!).  He told me she
had a "behavior problem" and that I should "change her food".  I proceded to
ask him questions about why she was losing fur and losing weight and he
WOULD NOT and COULD NOT answer any of my questions.  In fact, he kept
backing out of the room as if he couldn't wait to get away from us.  He had
no freakin' idea what was the matter with Misty and the visit cost me $24.
 
My "mother's intuition" kicked in and I decided to get a second opinion from
another vet who specialized in "exotics" that very same afternoon.  So, I
packed Misty in the car once again and took her to a different vet.  This
vet took one look at her and told me she had adrenal problems and was going
to need surgery right away.  I was not even allowed to take her home.  They
kept her and did her surgery the next morning.  Thank goodness I decided to
get another opinion because the new vet told me that Misty was very very
sick and in need of medical attention right away!  ( I have since changed
vets again because I didn't like this new vet's bedside manner but at least
she was intelligent enough about ferrets to save Misty's life and I'll
always be grateful for that.)
 
Needless to say, I was so mad at the local vet for missing what the new vet
called "a very typical problem that occurs in ferrets".  If the local vet
was so knowledgeable, as he claimed to be, then he should not have missed
such a typical problem as adrenal troubles.  I was angry.  I called and
called and called to get my money back but the secretary kept giving me
excuses about why he couldn't come to the phone.  This really made me angry.
 
I decided to take action against this vet.  I called the Better Business
Beaureau (sp) who gave me the number of the Consumer Protection
something-or-other.  I called and they told me to document what happened and
send it in.  So, I wrote a 4 page letter of complaint about the local vet.
I recently got a call from a private investigator who works for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Division.  He read my complaint
and would like to investigate the local vet.  I just have to sign off on
some papers releasing the medical records.  The investigator was very
concerned and asked if Misty ever recovered and I told him that she did and
is now doing very well.
 
My goal of this whole thing is to prevent the local vet from advertising
that he has knowledge of ferrets and to prevent him from seeing or treating
any and all ferrets until he goes to get more education on the diseases and
treatments of ferrets.  Believe me, I will not stop until he gets banned
from treating ferrets.  I could have lost my Misty due to his ignorance and
his pride (He should have told me the truth.  If he really didn't know much
about ferrets, he had an obligation to tell me that and I'd have gone
elsewhere.  Instead, he took my money.) Perhaps the next time, someone
else's ferret will die as a result of his negligence.  As a ferret owner, I
find it my duty to protect any innocent ferret that may fall prey to this
vet.
 
Perhaps this action sounds a bit harsh to some of you, but I really love
ferrets and I hate people that take your money and pretend they know what
they are doing.
 
The good news is that I have now found a terrific ferret vet in New Jersey
who will work with my new vet at home in Pennsylvania.  Together, they did
everything they could do to save my Sobriety but it just wasn't meant to be.
I feel much more confident with my new vets.
 
VIVA LA FERRET
 
Julie and The Fuzz Factory --Misty and Charity
In Loving Memory of Sobriety.
[Posted in FML issue 1479]