Well, just wanted to share some sad news, but maybe help others out there.
I have owned a ferret for over 6 yrs now, his name is Trouble and he's older
and grayer now, and went thru a surgery for blockage about 2 yrs ago, but he
still gets around good and is in good health.  I obtained a 2nd ferret about
a year ago, her name is Princess, and she's a frisky little one and keeps
Trouble on his toes and gives him exercise playing chase.  She's in good
health also.
 
About 3 weeks ago I obtained a 3rd ferret named Meshka.  From the story as I
was told, she was dropped off at a humane shelter where she was in a bad
state of malnutrition.  Apparently she wasn't fed correctly by whomever had
her before.  Anyhow, the lady whom gave me Meshka, had told me how she was
working at the Humane shelter and how she had taken Meshka to the Vet, got
her back on her feet, and eating on her own again.  (This was about 3-4
weeks before Meshka was given to me).  The lady who took Meshka under her
wing had moved back to College here where I work, and could not keep Meshka
due to living in an apartment where pets were a no-no.  Meshka was in good
spirits when I got her, and she seemed to eat well the first week.  The
second week I had her, she wasn't eating her food, so I was feeding her what
the Vet had given the lady for her to eat, Nutrical.  She ate this readily
the first day or two, but then I had to really make her eat it.  (placed it
on my finger and rubbed it on her mouth and she'd lick it off).  Then it got
to the point she wouldn't even eat it that way.  I took her to the vet, and
after doing some bloodwork, it was determined that she was suffering from
irreversible liver damage due to her bout with malnutrition.  Her liver
wasn't working correctly, and this in turn was why she wouldn't eat.  By
this time she was in a state of exhaustion, not moving around much and going
to the bathroom without getting up.  The vet said she had less than a 50-50
chance of survival, but I couldn't not give her a chance to make it.  After
getting some creamed food, revitalizer to prevent dehydration, and a huge
Vet bill, I took her home.  For 4 days I gave her daily baths due to being
soiled, and fed her via eye dropper 3 times daily.  Yesterday I couldn't
even get her to respond much more than blinking her eyes, and she twitched
alot.  I bathed her and fed her as much as I could without her choking on
the food & liquid.  (She'd barely swallow at all).  This morning Meshka
passed on.  The only thing I can say is that at least she's not in what
appeared to be a suffering state as she was yesterday.
 
I'd love to have, umm, for better terms, "a word" with the original owner
who left such a loving creature suffer in such a way.
 
I know Meshka is in a better place now, and she'll always have a place in my
heart.  She wasn't with me long, but I'll remember the time that she was,
and her final resting place is where I can see her from my window.
 
Thanks for listening, and if you have, or become an owner of a ferret, or
any animal, who has suffered from malnutrition in the recent past, pay extra
special attention to it.  If it refuses to eat at all for more than a day,
take it to the Vet immediately.  The Vet told me there was nothing I could
do to have prevented what happened, but I can't help but wonder if maybe I
had taken her to the Vet as soon as she would only eat from my finger, if
she'd still be alive and on the road to recovery today.
 
Thanks again for listening...it helped to write this out.
[Posted in FML issue 1700]