Personally, I agree that the combination of knowledgeable owners,
experienced and knowledgeable vets, and ways of both finding and exchanging
information make for the best care.  Speaking as another who has some <G>
experience with providing health care it's a TEAMWORK thing.  Have we ever
second-guessed vets and gone for second opinions as a result?  Yes.  We did
so with Helix and with Fritter.  Have we sometimes been right?  Yes.  Have
we sometimes been wrong?  Yes (though in that case the vet was, as well --
it was JL rather than a spinal tumor but even starting chemo (ten years ago
at the AMC when she was the first ferret known to have this tried) couldn't
stop Helix crashing).  Was it worth the extra money?  YES -- major YES!
(Thank goodness that in recent years we have a brilliant and talented vet
who believes in teamwork and consultation, and did a specialization in
exotics at the AMC in N.Y.C.(WONDERFUL hospital).  If you are in N.J.  our
vet is Hanan Caine at the Basking Ridge Animal Hospital.)
 
My worries are not with people expressing ideas of what may be wrong, or
what may help.  I do so myself, and I ask when I have a question.  The FML
has been a godsend at such times.  What scares me is when I read of folks
who chose to substitute that additional information for experienced
veterinary care.  (Hey, a new twist -- for this time, anyway.) There is NO
substitute for having a competent vet, and USING the care.  That's why folks
use the lists from their local clubs, from STAR Ferret ( [log in to unmask] ),
and so on.  It scares the heck out of me when I read about a grouping of
animals with an illness going through them and no autopsy has been done
(worse when the diagnosis is by owner with no vet having been seen since
things like canine distemper tend to be overlooked by owners and new
additions would be exposed and killed as a result -- autopsies SAVE lives,
folks), or when a pathologist with ferret experience has not been used, or a
vet won't consult with experts, or an owner won't spring for shots, or won't
try reading the medical FAQs series to learn.  If you see yourself or your
vet in any of these groupings then, please, act upon the problem.  The lives
you save will be the lives of those you love.  BTW, I STRONGLY second the
recent reminder that owners give copies of the Medical FAQs series to their
vets; the things in there were put together from information from ferret
specialist vets, a ferret specialist pathologist, and experienced owners
with fine success rates.  Our vet learns through the FML; and this is his
field of expertise (and he's VERY good at it), so one who is not an exotics
specialist also seeing many ferrets every week is CERTAINLY going to learn --
which can only help your ferrets.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2127]