Hi.  First, thanks for all the posts on humane societies -- I now have more
to go on when I manage to pin down someone to talk to here in Lincoln.  I
hope they're reasonable people -- I don't know much about how humane
societies make decisions, and I know it's all bureocratic hooha, but I hope
something positive will happen.  It just makes me so *MAD* to hear of some
of the things that have been said about ferrets.  I will never understand
why supposedly intelligent people will continue, in the face of obvious
evidence to the contrary, to believe things that just ain't true!!
 
Second, I have a question about insulinoma surgery.  I guess you could say
my SO and I are in need of a second opinion.  The 7 year old female we've
had with us since September (Trixxi) has low blood glucose -- all the tests
(and we've run several) come back in the 50's to 70's.  She isn't showing
any signs of feeling really punky, other than sleeping a lot, which I'd
attributed to being old.  She also isn't having any of the stereotypical
symptoms like pawing at the mouth or suddenly freezing -- at least not
anything obvious that we would've noticed prior to these test results (now
we'll be watching for it, of course).  The vet wants to send her to Kansas
State for exploratory surgery.  My question is -- is it worth putting Trixxi
through this kind of trauma (not to mention the risk of surgical
complication) at the age of 7, especially when she isn't having obvious
symptoms?  Money isn't really a problem -- this is a retired zoo animal, so
the zoo will pick up the tab, and the decision is essentially in our hands.
My SO is inclined to say no, and I'm not sure.  I really don't want to see
her go through all that when she only has a short time left in any case --
I've grown very attached to her and I'd like her to be as comfortable and
happy as possible -- it's quality that counts, not quantity.  Given all
this, would the advantages of surgery outweigh the disadvantages in an
animal this age?
 
Third, we're also having another problem with Trixxi.  She's bleeding in a
small but steady amount from -- well, er -- her nether regions (looks like
her urethra or "y'know").  She's had some green urine on and off, and she
seems to feel better on antibiodics, but the bleeding never really stops and
the green urine comes back on and off when we stop the medicine.  Any
thoughts?  (The vet ran a urinalysis yesterday but apparently found no
bacterial infection this time.)
 
-Tasha, outnumbered human
Gabrielle, Xena, and Trixxi, who have me at a distinct disadvantage :D
 
 --------------------------------------
 How many analytic philosophers does it take to change a light bulb?  None --
 it's a pseudo problem.  Light bulbs give off *light* (hence the name).  If
 the bulb were broken and wasn't giving off light, it wouldn't be a
 *light*bulb, now would it?  (Oh, where has the rigor gone??!?)
[Posted in FML issue 1798]