It is with a very saddened heart that I write this post....Mr Snickers is
gone. He died in my arms, Friday morning at 11AM. He had been diagnosed
as having adrenal and not a good candidate for surgery about 3 weeks ago.
He was given Lupron and kept in ICU for 4 days.When he came home he seemed
to be doing well, was piddling well (he had not been), put himself back
on his own food, wanted to play after the first couple days home. I was
given the impression that I would have him with me for at least another 6
months, maybe more. (The vet talked of his bald patches growing back in
in 5-6 months with the Lupron). He was fine till Sunday of Memorial Day
weekend. My aide (I am disabled) and I went to take him out to clean his
litter box and his head and body were listing to the right. He had a hard
time standing but eventually did right himself. As the days went on, this
listing got worse, he stopped eating, had to be force fed, still tried to
play though. Got him back to the vet. They said he was dehydrated and
gave him sub Q fluids and an antibiotic. It didn't help. He was
scheduled to be put down on Friday afternoon, but Snickers had other
plans. He had somehow gotten into his hammock (will never know how as he
couldn't stand by then) during the night. When I took him out of the cage
Friday morning he felt so cold to the touch. I talked to him, asked if
he wanted to try some water or duck soup. He pushed it away. Just
wanted to lie on my shoulder. I told him it was alright to go if he had
to...that he didn't have to wait for me, the vet, anyone. He struggled
to pull his head upright, looked me right in the eyes and dooked softly.
Then he gasped twice and was gone.
This is the fourth pet (3rd fuzzie) I've lost since October. The vet had
no real answers about any of them. I got the same with Snickers...they
didn't know what happened, why he was doing so well and then bam. They
said he was comparable to an 80 year old man (he had just turned 6 a month
ago) They wrote the other 2 off also because of age (both 6)and because
I didn't have big $$$ right up front to get the required tests. For
whatever reason they DID do a payment plan with me this time, well over
$1000 all totaled (and after the damage was done of course). And I have
no answers as to what happened. I was even charged an office visit fee
to bring Snickers in after he died. Is this normal???
I have this horrible nagging concern, because I saw the same symptoms with
Cody before he passed, that it was the Prednisone. Snickers was itching
something awful after he got home and on the Wednesday before Memorial Day
weekend they put him on Pred. That's when the downhill slide seemed to
start. By Sunday his poop was black, he couldn't stand, he seemed dizzy,
he didn't want to eat. Cody was the same way when he was put on pred and
died shortly after (days, not weeks) I questioned this with the vet and
all I was told was that Pred has some serious side effects! I find it
hard to believe both ferrets were doing well until they were put on pred
and both exhibited the same symptoms..lack of coordination, tarry stools,
stopped eating,etc. Does anybody know what the side effects are??
Also, is it normal routine for a vet to charge for bringing in a
deceased pet (he was to be picked up there,taken to pet cemetary to be
cremated,ashes returned to me). I mean what exam took place? none!
I am so thoroughly heartbroken over Snickers and so angry over the
treatment my 3 ferrets got that I don't know what to do. I even asked
the vet, when does it stop being about money and start being about the
animal? He went into a whole thing about how expensive their supplies
were,etc. I understand this but still...over $1000 for an animal that
died 3 weeks later and no answers for me as to what went wrong?
I'm sorry I went on so long..this isn't the half of it really...but I
hope someone can answer my questions.
Thank you also to those who wrote when I posted a few weeks ago that
Snickers had adrenal and to his "cousins" who sent him the get well card!
[Posted in FML issue 3802]
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