Can anyone tell me the signs that a ferret is suffering from pain?

I know what it looks like if he's in extreme pain/discomfort, from a
near blockage incident years ago. He doesn't look like that now even
though he's had insulinoma for 2+ years, was recently diagnosed with
adrenal disease (though I thought he's had it longer but was told "no"
by a couple of vets) and probably has lymphoma, plus is nearly blind
from cataracts. However, he mostly eats and sleeps.

The immediate concern/problem is his problem peeing, which he does, but
not as much as he should. Last week the vet said his bladder was the
size of a lime, and he extracted urine with a syringe. I am carefully
monitoring his newspapers, but sometimes he goes on the floor and it
can dry up before I see it. He also got a 4-mo Lupron shot 1mg at that
time, and was recently started on flutamide. He has had 3 monthly shots
of Lupron 200mcg. I didn't think the first shot was very effective but
the vet refused to raise the dose. Also I wasn't very good about
getting them on time because of my own medical issues and trying to
find a new vet.

He isn't very active, especially lately, but he eats his food and looks
for his treat and will work at retrieving it from various items I put
it in. A week ago, when I was repotting a plant, he went into the bag
of dirt and was having a good time. He also likes to survey my bf's
junk when it's on the floor or something new comes in. He also scours
the floor for the occasional piece of cereal dropped by my bf. But he
has trouble walking, especially when he first gets up and where there
is no carpeting. Recently becoming nearly blind doesn't help when he's
trying to find his way around. Yet he still gets to his newspapers most
of the time and is physically able to scurry from one to the other
throughout the apartment when he's having trouble peeing.

We hold him often, but I'm not sure if he'd rather be in his blankie.
If he's sleepy, he stays; if he wakes up he goes, often in search of
a newspaper.

I am freaked out of my mind about this because I've never been so
bonded with any creature as I am with Rocky. And I've never had an
animal euthanized. How long do I wait? a week or two to see if the meds
help? Try other meds or increase dosage and see if that works? I want
to do what's best for Rocky, but I can't ask him. All creatures have
an instinct to keep living, even when they aren't feeling very well.

Some people say I'll know; those have usually waited until the animal
was in obvious distress and stopped eating and couldn't move. Others
let go if they feel the animal's quality of life isn't very good. I'm
not sure I can judge that. If it's based on quality of life, many would
say my quality of life isn't very good, as I suffer from a lot of pain,
weakness, emotional problems, and am unable to most of the things I
used to do. And by quality of life criterion, my mother, who's in a
nursing home, would definitely be a candidate for euthanized if we did
that to humans.

Shron
 &
Rocky--"Why does da water come out of your eyes so much Mom?"

[Posted in FML 6278]