I thought I would tell this story so others can look out for the same
symptoms in possible rescues or surrenders.
 
On Monday this week I received a call from a Petsmart that three ferrets
in a extremely small birdcage where turned in.  After receiving the call,
I went home and grabbed a carrier and other supplies I might need.  Well
when I arrived at the Petsmart, their vet hospital - Bainfield Vet
Hospital, had already begun to treat them.  I tried to talk to the vet
but he was busy treating an emergency.  I did not get to look at the
ferrets but I told the receptionist that Dr. Lee would call me after he
looked at the ferrets.  Well after a slightly restless sleep since I
did not get a call Monday Night, I called Dr. Lee Tuesday morning.  He
explained that the ferrets were in poor condition, one having a cut on
his neck from the bird cage.  He described the bird cage has having had
taken a beating itself, part of it deformed with a sharp edge which cut
this poor ferret's neck.  I asked him if he would be able to handle them
as he was somewhat new to the ferret field.  I suggested to him that I
bring them up to Horsham Vet to Dr. Anna Edling since under Anna's care,
the ferrets would not be left unattended for 10 hours which the hospital
was closed.  Dr. Lee suggested he could check in on them during the night
but did not feeling moving them would be a good idea.  Well I worried
about them as they seemed to not be well and if they had the care they
needed.  Well on Wednesday night I got a call from Dr. Lee who said that
after checking over them a few times he found, cuts on their feet not
consistent with the cage or wire bottom.  He believes that the ferret's
legs and feet where intentionally cut.  The cuts were so minute that he
did not see them right away.  Also he had a hard time getting the
bleeding to stop.  He felt that there was a possibility that they ferrets
were given Advil or some other type of medicine that thinned the blood.
He explained to me that he had seen things similiar in dogs at another
clinic he worked at.  The reason they (the animal abusers) did it was
so the animal would slowly bleed to death.  He was amazed that after
receiving such medication the ferrets were still hanging on.  I went on
Thrusday afternoon to see the ferrets and look at them myself but when I
arrived only one had made it.  The other two where lost due to loss of
blood and after a blood transfussion, they still didn't bounce back.  I
offered to bring back one of my ferrets for a blood donor but Dr. Lee
told me not to worry.  I do worry, this guy was the one with the cut on
his neck, he seems to be trying but weighs only 1.4 lbs.  He didn't look
to be eating but I dropped off nutri-cal with Dr. Lee.  This morning I
called and he is still hanging in there and did eat after they mixed
nutrical with the AD.  He is being syringe feed every 2 hours by the
tech.  I don't know if this little guy will make it but I felt that after
hearing that people have done this to other animals and this is the first
case I know if in ferrets, I am hoping this isn't a new trend for ferret
abusers.
 
I will know in about a week if Advil or anything like that was present in
their blood.  To my knowledge, the ferrets had the following symptoms:
dehyrdated, emanicpated, trouble walking, loss of blood (anemic), pale
gums, nose and ears (pale pink and cold), low body temperature (possible
fever), erratic heart rate (abnormal) and shallow breathing.  They also
had tiny cuts extending from the top of their feet up to their hip/elbow
joints.  The cuts where cut on a slight slant - too pattern-like to be
normal cuts.  All four feet where cut the same way.  Dr. Lee has
suggested if anyone else comes accross these symptoms or signs to
immediately get the ferret to the vet and start a blood transfussion.
I will let you all know if the blood tests show any blood thinners.  It's
a sad world when someone would do such a thing to these animals.  I am
not sure if this little guy is going to make it, Dr. Lee feels he has a
30% chance of making it but feels that he is also battling an infection
from the open wounds.
[Posted in FML issue 4667]