I have a story I would like to share with you all. But I would first
like to state a few things...
I have kept this private except with really close friends. I do not
want anyone to be negative towards me and if you chose to do so, you
will not get a response out of me. My time is more precious than
dealing with people who have nothing better to do than be NEGATIVE.
This is a story that can save other FERRETS LIVES. It is a very
devastating, life changing, make you say "Oh God, I hope this never
happens to me".
If some of the words are misspelled I am sorry, its probably because
I am crying really bad.
There is a HAPPY ENDING I PROMISE!!!
I am already starting to cry and haven't even started.
Some of you know me and know I run a Haven called Asti's Ferret Haven.
I care for the Elderly, Sick and Abused. I live for my ferrets and
provide the best possible.
On January 26th of this year I rescued two boys from the local pound
called South Animal Care Center here in Brevard County, Florida. I knew
these two were gonna have a great forever home. You see they were left
behind in a motel on Jan. 18th. They were picked up and taken to SACC.
I was there a few days earlier to pick up two elderly lady ferrets for
a friend. While there I was told about the two boys.
I was taken to the back hallway where they were being kept in a very
NASTY, RUSTY cage and already being covered up and this was like 3
pm.... I held them and clipped their very long nails and told them I
would be back Monday to get them when their time was up for adoption.
So I brought them home put them in their own room away from the other
ferrets as I always do with the rescued ones from the pound. They are
there for 15 days. Well the boys now had names Apollo (sable) and Zeus
(marked dew). Zeus got very sick within a few days and had a nasty
resp. infection but we were able to get him cleared up in 10 days. (I
know now that he had beginning stages of CDV, yep CANINE DISTEMPER).
On Feb. 14th I come home from work to find Apollos face, eyes and ears
swollen. My friend Kim said "Could it be distemper?", I said no way.
Started him on Pred to see if this would help bring the swelling down.
By Monday he was worse and took him to see the vet. After some research
it was CDV. Oh God I thought what do I do now??? They kept him for the
day so that he could have fluids. By this time he was itching some
awful. He was lyme dipped while there. My oldest little girl Maggie
was also with him for xrays.....
So now as you can figure out my entire business has been exposed. 16
others. That night my husband and I loaded the kids up and took them to
the vet for boosters. But this would prove to be to late for 5 other
kids.
During this outbreak with Apollo, he became ravaged and his beautiful
eyes were swollen shut that he could not open them. I spent many, many
hours holding him and wiping his face with cool soft wash cloths. He
was force fed a couple of times and managed to move around his room
very well.
My very good friend Joclyn did a ton of research for me along with my
friend Goldie. Joclyn managed to find me a vet out of state that had a
proven record of saving 130 dogs infected with CDV and that they would
like to treat a ferret. So with this info in hand I called my vet and
she had a consultation with him (sorry I can't give his name out yet).
We started Apollo on treatments and unfortunately treatment did not get
into him in time. Apollo passed away of my birthday Feb. 22nd. But he
managed to open his eyes the last 2 days and actually did a small war
dance before he died.
By the 20th day of Feb. I notice that one of my other kids was showing
signs. His name was Sprocket.... He was a kid who had a back injury
and could not walk. My vet did chiropractic work on him for a few
months and Sprocket learned how to walk again. He never walked he ran
everywhere. He was a sock stealer and loved LIFE!!! He died on
Feb. 23rd. He was 8mons old.
By Feb. 21st my oldest adrenal boy Kuto who was growing back his fair
with the help of lupron,developed a severe rash all over his body. He
was on fire and we did everything to soothe him. He was a hoot.....
Enjoyed stealing body warmth from anyone he could. He died Feb. 23rd.
He was 7yrs old.
I thought this can't get any worse. I had scrubbed my house with
bleach, bought cage wizard from the vet. Sanitized what bedding I could
that wasn't thrown out.....Changed clothing from room to room.....
On Feb. 24th my girl my Angel Maggie started showing signs. But now
that I look back her signs started sooner. As did Sprocket and Kutos...
I started her on treatment and reg temp takings and all the stuff I did
for the other 3. She was holding her own very well. Never really got
all the crusting of the pads or swelling like Apollo. On March 2nd I
had to let her go. Was it out of fear because this treatment wasn't
working?? Yes, I did not want her beautiful face and body to become
ravaged like Apollos. Maggie was 6yrs old...
On Feb. 25th my girl Jesse and My boy Baxter also started showing
signs. I at this point thought I can't do this anymore. I was exhausted
and mentally drained. The 3 kids were all in the sick room with Zeus.
He loved them all very much in the short time he had with them. But I
also chose to let Jesse and Baxter go on March 2nd with Maggie. That
was the toughest and hardest shoice I had to make in my life. Jesse
was 14mons old and Baxter 8 mons old.
My 5 kids were sent to heaven in the front seat of my truck because we
were not allowed in the vets. I watched as each one was sedated and
then given the drug to take their lives. My husband (such a blessing)
was with me on March 2nd and that day broke him apart. He watched his
babies loose their lives.
Now some are wondering how could this happen?? You see SACC did not
know ferrets could catch this virus. When I called them on Feb. 17th
to let them know I had an outbreak the animal control lady says quote
"Ferrets can't catch CDV, they get their diseases"...I said "put
someone on the phone right now"....I get kennel manager Willis and he
says to me" I am sorry, but please let us now what his test results
show".. Nothing more. Well come to find out that day, SACC had been the
outbreak of distemper since Oct of 2008. Because of them I lost 6 of
the most PRECIOUS ANGELS in the world. For what?? Because of human
negligence. Because they thought they could get away with adopting out
dogs and ruining families lives, that noone would catch on. WELL THEY
THOUGHT WRONG!!! I called the local news that night and the crap hit
the fan. They shut down, but were still taking in dogs.... Thats
another story.
Apollo had 3 stories written about him in the paper. I wanted someone
to know he wasn't just another animal. You see I wasn't going to let
them forget him.
On March 1st my little boy Simon started showing signs of CDV..... I
started him on treatment and doctored him the same way I had with the
other 6. While he slept, I would bath his face and just hold him tight
and he would sleep for hours in my arms or next to me in the bed. He
was full blown. But the one thing I think that saved him was his temp
never got over 102.8... Yes Simon has survived CDV and is doing very
well. He lost weight and has put it all back on. He went through hell
but had the will to live.
Simon was lyme dipped up to 3x's a day for 2wks. The smell was
horrible, but I made a deal with him. If you gotta stink because of
this nasty stuff then mommies skin can be yellow from the dip. I never
wore a glove or mask. Simon never fussed during any temp checks, meds
given, lyme dips or when mommie was checking him for new crusting.
Simon never suffered and I want you all to know this. Yes, he was a
test subject but he was very well cared for during this time. So much
so I lost over a months worth of pay to take care of my kids.....
I have tons and tons of notes and pictures to give to the doctor who
helped save his life. He has just as much right to them as me. My
friends are my ANGELS!! I had no help while all of this was going on
as I could not risk anyone coming in my home and taking it with them.
These were the longest darkest days of my life.
I would love to have Simons case documented as to what treatments were
done, so that other ferrets can survive. He is a MIRACLE!!!!!! He just
turned two on May 2nd. Along with Zeus, he to is a MIRACLE!!!
Please don't think this can't happen to you it can. Distemper shots
are important. I am now doing titer testing and doing this under Dr.
Hellers study..... No ferrets in our Haven go without a shot. I will
never have this happen to me again.........
The county is still dealing with distemper and they will not accept
help from outsiders. It is a horrible place. But the one good thing
is that they do give distemper vacs when a dog or ferret comes in.
Here is part of an article from the paper.
Melbourne resident Jenny Peterson choked up at the podium, telling
commissioners about Apollo, a ferret she adopted from the Melbourne
shelter. Apollo later succumbed to the shelter's distemper outbreak --
but not before infecting her other beloved ferrets with the dread
disease.
"He died Feb. 22," Peterson said, fighting back tears. "By (shelter)
management not having the proper knowledge that ferrets could catch
distemper from dogs, I lost five of my other ferrets. Their names were
Sprocket, Kuto, Maggie, Baxter and Jessie."
Saying she was "devastated," Peterson said she still owes veterinary
bills, and she also lost work wages caring in vain for her ailing pets.
---
Heres another one:
Ferret fights for survival
Three weeks ago, Melbourne resident Jenny Peterson adopted two ferrets,
Apollo and Zeus, from the South Animal Care Center, she said. A few
days later, Peterson took the cage-mates to the veterinarian for
distemper shots. But the dreaded disease struck anyway.
"I noticed that, Saturday, Apollo's face had started swelling. I
thought he was having a reaction to something he was eating or
chemicals off the bedding they used," Peterson said.
"His face, his eyes, his ears -- everything had swollen up big-time,"
she said. By the time Peterson took Apollo back to the vet Monday
morning, his paws were crusty, and he exhibited crusty sores beneath
his chin. He was running a fever Wednesday, and she tried to keep him
fed and hydrated.
"It's basically a waiting game. We have to wait to see if he will
survive this or not," she said. "It's turned my entire life
upside-down. Financially, this is going to be very hard."
---
I hope all that reads this understands why I am posting.....
Things are almost back to normal and new kids have come in protected
with shots and titers are going to be done.
This is one reason we are selling the tents. This cost over $4000.00
during the outbreak and we still have a vet bill that needs to be paid.
THANKS FOR READING!!!
Jenny and The 18 Weasels
Pics of each kid:
SIMON
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/May09006.jpg
APOLLO
<http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/Zeus%20and%20Apollo/jan09104.jpg>
MAGGIE
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/morebabies287.jpg
BAXTER
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/mar09019.jpg
SPROCKET
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/morebabies305.jpg
JESSE
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/Jesse004-1.jpg
KUTO
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/DSC08245.jpg
AND ZEUS
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/astismom/june09103.jpg
[Posted in FML 6387]
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