Hi Everybody,
 
 
I have a scary story to tell, and not for the light-hearted or weak
stomachs.  I have never heard of this before, so I am writing in hopes
some of you have, and can give me info on preventing it from ever
happening again.
 
My 11 month old Rogue, who some of you might remember as the houdini
ferrett who has escaped twice, on one of his ventures apparently picked
up a parasite.
 
Yesterday my husband wakes me up with a furball in my face and says, He
needs to go to the Vet!  He had a large swelling, what looked like an
abscess with an open sore, on his side.  I called the vet and they said
bring him right in.  He didnt seem sick at all, and was eating and
drinking so we took him in, and the nurse takes one look and tells us
that on his outdoor adventure he must have ingested some fly larvae,
because it grew into a large worm, easily the size of my index finger,
in length and nearly thickness, and it burrowed from his intestine, to
just under his skin where it had created an infection.  It was very
disgusting, and I will spare you the rest of the details, but the vet
said my baby was very, very brave and that it hurt to have it removed
and cleaned.  He is home, doing very well, and on antiobiotics right
now, but it was a big scare.  Have any of you heard of this?
 
on a second note, for any of you in WA state, the only listings i found
on the internet for a ferret vet in WA is ST FRANCIS ANIMAL HOSPITAL.  I
do NOT recommend this place, my friend lost her beloved dog as a direct
result of gross negligence on their part, and they do not house or treat
their animals well.  We went to EAST MILL PLAIN animal hospital, and
their entire staff was absolutely wonderful.  I am so happy to have found
such a wonderful, caring place for my fuzzies.  They are very familiar
with ferrets and have scheduled shots and check ups for mine.
 
anyway, sorry for a long post, but this was something new to me.
 
Robin, Hooman to Rogue and Gypsy
[Posted in FML issue 3871]