Our first ferret,Flavia,was a non-thriver.As an unclaimed stray we had no
history to help us and she was a pain to feed.We bought every type of food
that a ferret is suposed to eat and then some.The one thing she loved was
lo-lactose milk with egg yolk.  About every third day she would take a
little raw meat and that was all.  We even withheld her milk to encourage
her to eat;all to no avail.She was plagued with health problems.  An ear
infection left her with a permanent tilt to her head.  One infection caused
her lymph glands to swell to the extent of paralising her back legs and even
when cured, she was left with a perculiar gait.  Although frail, she was
loving and playful and Oh, how we loved her.Other ferrets joined our family
and thrived but not our Flavia.  One day I noticed a wasting of her muscles
so back to our dear vet we went.Chronic intersticial nephritis was
diagnosed; no known cause nor cure;take her home and love her to the end.
She stopped eating altogether,just drank her milk and slept.  I took her to
work each day as she became too weak to walk to her beloved milk.She got
another ear infection so I began her on a left-over antibiotic from another
ferret to at least ease the pain.  When she could no longer walk I took her
back to the vet dreading that he would want to euthanase her.Her muscles had
so wasted that she couldn't even support the weight of her own tiny body.
*She doesn't have to catch her own breakfast* he said*carry her where she
wants to go and keep her on that antibiotic as her ear is improving*.
 
Friends called,and in hushed voices asked if Flavia was dead yet.The pain I
felt at the imminent loss of her was great.  Little by little however,she
seemed to rally.She began to walk again and after two weeks she could even
toddle down to the back shed and back.  She tried to play with her ferret
mates as they war-danced around her and got knocked flat quite often.But
each day she seemed just a little stronger.  I felt the muscles in her hind
legs and they had grown!!  The vet was delighted.  It appears that although
she had been on so many antibiotics over the last two years,the one I
dragged out of the fridge in desperation was just the one that cured her
nephritis.
 
This morning I wept with joy as Flavia ate the largest breakfast ever and
war-danced, dooked and rugby-tackled her buddies all over the loungeroom
floor.I'm sorry this story is so long but I felt the need to share it all.
Love to you all.
 
Shirley,Flavia and the seven others.
[Posted in FML issue 1579]