Hi all -
 
Pogo, my 5.5 year old ferret, went in for surgery for both a right adrenal
and an early insulinoma tumor (his fasting glucose had dropped from 83 in
March to 54 in July).  His energy was still good, and he was in pretty
good health, and I wanted to cath things early.  The surgery was done by
Dr. Brust, who I have TOTAL confidence in.  Pogo hates the vet - he is so
scared when he gets there - but I knew this was his only chance to live
for too much longer.
 
The surgery was tuesday, and it went fabulously.  There was minimal
bleeding, even though work was done on the vena cava, and tumors wer
removed.  Pogo came out of anesthesia OK, and even took a few steps on
Tuesday evening.  Since he was doing so well, Dr. Brust left him that
night.
 
When he came in this morning, Pogo had died.  He had just passed away - he
said the body was still warm.  He had no idea why this happened, suspected
a possible underlying cardiomyopathy, although we don;t have any way of
knowing.
 
I feel so bad that Pogo died alone, in a vets office; the place in the
world he disliked the most.  I only hope he died in his sleep and didn;t
suffer.  I was prepared for the worst on Tuesday, knowing it was a risky
operation... but this morning I was totally blindsided by it.
 
Pogo leaves his friend Henry, who looked all over the house for him after
I took him to the vets.  But I hope and trust that Pogo's spirit rejoins
that of Slinky, who died two years ago.  They always were best buddies -
and Slinky NEVER got along with anyone else.  So I like to think that
somewhre over the Rainbow Bridge, Slinky is ferret-dancing and playing
with his first buddy in several years.
 
This also closes an era for me.  For a long time, Leila the cat, and Slinky
and Pogo the ferrets, were the best buddies I had.  I am married now, and
there are other cats in the house.  I have Henry, but both Pogo and Slinky
were "illegal aliens" before ferrets were legal in Massachusetts.  Now all
3 are gone, and this house feel very empty.
 
Pogo will be buried in our backyard in Friday, in the same grave where
Slinky was buried almost two years ago tothe day (August 13, 1998).
 
In sadness -
 
Mason
[Posted in FML issue 3139]