It's been a while since I've posted but I've lost a little one this week
and wanted to share with the only people in the world who can truly
understand what a pet, specifically a ferret can mean to a person.  Crimson
was the "Mascot" for the university's Biology program that I work for.  She
came to us as a returnee to a pet store.  Someone's child wasn't taking
responsibility for her care and so they gave her up.  She was approx.  one
year of age at the time she came to live here.  She was a gentle soul, very
playful, funny, adorable, (of course) and the light of our department.  She
was well loved in her 5 years with us.  She spent holidays and summers at
my home with my ferrets and in her later years, came to be a close friend
to my little Boo.  She began showing signs of Insulinoma about 1 and 1/2
years age and was on Pred for that.  Soon afterwards she began losing hair
and showing signs of Adrenal tumors.  Two vets evaluated her and determined
that she was not a good candidate for surgery.  She thrived with the pred
and had very little time that she didn't feel good.  She slept more but was
always in good spirits.  She never actually dramatically took a turn for
the worse.  She looked a little "purple" the night she died, but was eating
extremely well and drinking and her stools were always nice and firm and
normal looking.  Except that she was nearly bald, you would not have
thought there was anything wrong with her, just getting old and slowing
down.  She died in her sleep.  Her necropsy showed, lots of insulinomas,
her left adrenal gland was more than 10 times the normal size.  She had
tumors in her liver, nodes and many in her lungs.  We believe one of the
ones in her lungs ruptured that night and ultimately caused her death as
there was a lot of hemorrhaging in that area.  She was a bright shining
star in our lives.  Sandee, please watch for her and ask Mickey to show her
around.
 
For the first time I am dealing with fleas with my ferrets.  I don't know
what is the best method for dealing with them.  I use the advantage on my
cats and frontline on the dog.  What works and is safe for ferrets?  Any
suggestions would be helpful.
 
Thanks for being here for me to vent.  Love your little ones for me and my
four.
 
Julie and Razz, Poncho, Boo and foster ferret Deli
[Posted in FML issue 3154]