Hello everyone.  The other day I posted to some boards talking about our
permanent resident Zippy.
 
http://www.picturetrails.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2684479&uid=421224
 
He is 6 years old and has insulinoma.  He was so depressed when he first
came here in April we thought we were going to lose him.  He has been
doing wonderful since we put him on prednisone.  No problems.  He was
outside walking in the evening with me on Monday.  Then yesterday with
Shawn.
 
At about 11:30 pm last night I got him up to let him run around and get
his baby food and medication into him.  He ate all of his food and was
wondering around.  I got ready to go to bed and wanted to say good night
to him (Shawn was staying up).  I couldn't find him at first.  Finally we
found him in the tube under our futon.  Upon pulling him out I noticed
that he wasn't moving.  Thinking he might just be doing the dead ferret
thing on me I looked for breathing....I couldn't see it... then I saw his
mouth... open.... not breathing.  I looked at Shawn and was scared.... I
don't have a clue as to what I said, but Shawn took Zippy and felt for
breathing and a heartbeat.  He had a heartbeat but was barely breathing
and was unresponsive.
 
Then Zippy stopped breathing.  Shawn started CPR while I ran and got some
Gatorade an also the kyro syrup.  That didn't help at all.  Since he
was not breathing on his own he was also not swallowing on his own.  I
rubbed some syrup on his gums with a q-tip (learned that from Ferrets for
Dummies).  Shawn continued to breath for him and I called the ER Vet.
The vet (not our normal one) said that she was over 30 minutes away and
might not be of any help.  I hung up and called our vet at home.  She
wasn't home...I left a message.  Shawn was still working on him.  After
about 3 minutes I called the ER Vet back and told her that we needed to
bring him in.
 
Now, this is NOT our normal vet, nor our normal clinic.  This vet tried
to explain to me that what I was asking would not work.  That he was old
and would not make it to the vets.  Trying to be nice... to a point...
I explained that about a month ago I was at another shelter in Tucson
and saw this same thing happen to another ferret.  They had oxygen and
sub-q fluids on hand there and were able to keep the ferret alive and
breathing - then we rushed him to the vets.  That ferret is fine now.
 
I explained that I needed...no, I had to try, I couldn't just sit here
and watch him die.  So, she explained how much it would be for the ER
visit (let's not go there) and I said fine.  She said that she would have
her tech meet us there and give him a shot of dextrose (I think that is
the name) in his stomach and put him on some oxygen, but if he wasn't
breathing on his own in 15 minutes that was all she would do.  She didn't
want the vet tech to stay out there all night.  (SCREAM!!!!)
 
So, I drive while Shawn continues to do CPR on Zippy.  I thought we had
lost him during the drive.  The clinic is about 20 minutes away.  About 3
minutes out, he started convulsing (this is my first time with it and let
me tell you what... I don't ever want to go through that again!).  Once
we got there the tech put him on oxygen and gave him the shot.  Then she
explained that he might need to go to Tucson for 24 hour care.  Tucson
is about 65 miles from here.  So, while she went and did the nice bill,
Shawn and I talked.  Zippy must have heard us cause he stabilized and
woke up some.  He stopped convulsing and was breathing.
 
We decided that we wanted our vet to look at him in the morning.  The
vet tech gave Shawn another shot of the dextrose to take home in case it
happened again during the night.  After paying the vet tech and thanking
her for her time we left.  Shawn drove home and I held Zippy.  CPR no
longer needed and I have stopped crying...
 
Shawn was up most of the night with him.  I had to get some sleep because
I had to work today.  I called the vets office at 7 and they got him in
at 10 am.  Now... let me tell you, when I left this morning and went into
Shawn's room where Zippy is at, Zippy looked perfectly fine.  Walking
around, wanting to play.  Like nothing happened!
 
At his appointment today (Shawn took him) the vet did x-rays along with
feeling his belly and stuff.  She said that the CPR work and can't see
any brain damage (he looks and walks fine).  After his tests results
she said that he needed surgery.  Appears to have an enlarged kidney or
something growing on his kidney or near it.  His spleen is a little
enlarged and he also has enlarged lymphoids.
 
She doesn't want to do the surgery until next week.  She put him on
antibiotics and up'd his prednisone to 3 mg.  a day.  She wants to make
sure he is healthy enough for surgery so we don't put him at another
risk.
 
Shawn is home with him today.  I am here at work...worried sick of
course.
 
Please keep Zippy in your thoughts and prayers.
 
Before this happened last night with Zippy we picked up 2 new kids..
drove 4 hours to get them too!  LOL.  Big FAT boys.  Long nails but
really sweet.  She said one was eating cat food the other ferret food...
well turns out the ferret food was for rabbits and such!  "WHOLE GRAIN"
No fat but LOTS of carbs!  Anyways, safe and sound and playing around.
 
Joanne Ruffner
Ferret Corner Shelter
"Ferrets are the Spice of Life"
www.geocities.com/ferretcorneraz
www.supportourshelters.org
There's a pot of Ferret Love at the end of the Rainbow
[Posted in FML issue 4254]