Hi folks,
 
Ok, its more than just possible adrenal, so I'll have to start from the
beginning.
 
When we rescued him last February, we were told that Nietzsche was "around
2".  He was eating some unidentifiable "ferret diet" and was skin and
bones.  He was filthy with some kind of dirt that made me ITCH, had been
caged for over a month, visited only once a day to check on food and water
levels, and had a collar so tight I had to cut it off.  Once at our home,
he got a bath (panic attack!!), quickly filled out on Totally Ferret, he
blew his coat and got a new, soft, fluffy one.  His toenails were clipped,
his ears were kissed, and Nietzsche settled in.  We never quite won the
battle with black-heads on his tail, and the orange ring around his neck
where the collar had been, persisted for almost 6 months before the fur
was grown back.
 
It was several months before he stopped hiding whenever the door was
opened.  It was several months before he came to us voluntarily.  But
Nietzsche became the most playful, yet affectionate and CALM ferret I have
ever met.  He saw the vet, who said he looked like he just needed some
TLC, he found no perasites, but noticed some fat deposits in his belly
that he didn't think were cause for concern, and he didn't think that the
age estimate was correct.  He believes Nietzsche to NOW be more like 5 or
6 than 3 or 4, as he would be if the guy we "adopted" him from had been
right.
 
Since then, until the last few weeks, Nietzsche has been the same playful,
calm and affectionate ferret.  Until he started sleeping more.  And
suddenly got jumpy if you approached him too quickly.  During the last
year, he has seen the vet twice more, for shots, and nothing has ever been
of concern to the vet.  However, as I said, we never quite won the battle
with his tail, which has been mildly bald since we got him, and his fatty
deposits have gotten larger.
 
Last night, we took him to the vet.  I figured he'd be diagnosed with
adrenal, but since his symptoms haven't been of concern to the vet, and
his behavoir hasn't until recently changed at all, I have waited.  Now the
vet tells me he thinks adrenal may only be ONE of his problems, if it is
at all.  His fatty deposits appear like swollen lymph nodes, bilateral in
both the abdomen and near the front shoulders.  But the vet did a needle
aspiration and could only find fat cells, no lymphatic cells at all.  His
fur is back to brittle, and his tail is now more than half blad, but still
has the black heads, and he has been itchy.  Also, he is going blind.
Even under the bright light of the vet's tool, his pupils were almost
fully dialated.  The vet said he could have adrenal, could have lymphoma,
could have neither or could have both, and the vision may be as simple as
retinal degeneration or as complicated as a neurological problem that is
related to his other symptoms.
 
The vet doesn't think that Nietzsche is a good candidate for surgery,
worrying that whatever else is going on may cause problems.  He doesn't
think that adrenal disease is the only problem.  He said the only way he
would recommend surgery is if he could be assured that adrenal were the
cause of ALL his symptoms, which he thinks is unlikely, and believes that
if we do bloodwork and an ultrasound we will find a number of different
problems.
 
Now, the kicker... Please understand that money is a secondary concern,
but IS a concern.  I have been diligently putting money away for various
things, to include vet care.  But all roughly $2000 of my savings are now
tied up in appraisal fees, inspection fees and closing costs, etc., for a
new home for myself, my boyfriend, the ferrets, and our baby to be.
 
If need be I WILL come up with money for Nietzsche.  All my rescources
are not tapped yet.  However, after talking to the vet last night, I feel
perhaps that Nietzsche, who's quality of life is not suffering yet, as he
seems to rather like sleeping, does not act as though he is in pain, and
is still easily incited to play, etc., would be better off not going
through all the poking and prodding he would go through, if it is likely
we will not be able to truely help him no matter the outcome.  I feel as
though watching Nietzsche be a ferret until he no longer can be, and then
helping him to the Bridge is the best thing I could do for him now.  My
instincts are to rush him to the vet and tell him that money is no object,
and do what he needs to do to save my boy.  But I feel that would be a
disservice to Nietzsche, and more for my own benifit than anything else.
 
Any advice, based on the symptoms, or similar situations, or anything,
would be much appreciated, as this momma is quite sad this morning.
 
Melissa Kuzara
Mira, Tasha, Robin, Nietzsche, Samurai and O'Dell
Missing Cael and Booboo always
[Posted in FML issue 3806]