Depressed Mom wrote on 4/23/2004, 4:00 AM:
 
>As it says in Leese's Story on the ferretadv.com website, "he doesn't
>know he's sick."  They don't know they're sick, and I'm not going to be
>the one to tell them.   But when the time comes, I will know not to
battle the illness, and just to have my poor ferrets put down.
 
I wanted to write and let you know that when they first start to show
symptoms, if they do, there are ways to help them.  I do not oppose
euthanasia.  Many of my own kids have been helped to the Bridge.  But,
I also want to let you know you don't have to give up right away.
 
If you haven't done so already, I would suggest you read Hershey's
Memorial Page.  We had to struggle for a while to get things right, but
as a result, Hershey had a least a year and a half of quality time added
to his life.  In the end, he told me when it was time to say good-bye,
and I didn't argue, but helped him leave.  But, I was glad that earlier,
I had worked to find ways to help him live longer.  His memorial is at:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/mem-Hershey.html
 
Also, ferrets with ADV can still get other ailments.  Please don't let
your vet ever assume that because the ferret is ADV+ the problem is the
ADV.  It might be, because ADV can mimic the symptoms of many other
illnesses.  But, it is always worth checking out the other possibilities
to see if the problem is something treatable.  A good example is hind
end weakness, which is considered a classic ADV symptom, but can also be
caused by insulinoma.  Loss of weight could be ADV wasting, or could be
a symptom of a GI disorder like IBD.
 
If you have joined the ADVList, try to find time to go through the
archives of messages.  There are a lot of good discussions there about
what people have tried, and what has worked in helping ADV+ ferrets
remain healthy as long as possible.
 
And, if you are on the BB at FerretADV.com, there are good messages
there also.  Plus, you can ask questions anonymously and learn about the
experiences that some of us with ADV+ kids have had.
 
Again, I invite you to write to me privately, any time.  I always respect
people's right to remain anonymous, if that is what they prefer, and so I
would never tell others who you were.  But, I can share a lot of my
experiences with you.
 
I can also tell you that even after 5 years, the ADV+ kids that are still
with me, with one exception, are still healthy and ADV symptom free.  My
oldest ADV+ girl is failing, but she is also 7 years old, so age may be
playing the biggest part of her decline.
 
Mostly, I just want you to know that there are people out here who
understand, and will help you in any way we can.
 
--
Danee
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
[Posted in FML issue 4492]