I know I haven't posted in at least forever.  We have an urgent problem
with one of our ferrets, Amadeo, our sweet year-old cinnamon.  Two nights
ago he started breathing shallowly and rapidly.  Sudden onset, although
he had looked under the weather for a week or so and we were planning on
bringing him in for a checkup.  We rushed him to our vet in the morning and
she checked him out.  Did X-rays and from what I could see he's breathing
with less than 25% of his lungs.  More like 10%.  The rest was opaque, and,
we assume, fluid.  She got a bit of fluid out and it had some bacteria in
it and no tumor cells, so we cautiously decided to treat this like a
bacterial infection instead of like lymphoma.  As of yesterday, we thought
we weren't going to be bringing Deo home alive... but he was still too much
alive for us to decide to put him to sleep.  (He ripped up a box of tissues
on the exam table.)  So we decided to do a CBC and start some antibiotics,
and do round-the-clock feedings and forced fluids.  He had SC fluids, but
our vet didn't want to put too much into him for fear of putting too much
pressure on his lungs.  It has now been 36 hours since his first doses of
his antibiotics, which, for now, are Amoxicillin and Baytril.  We've been
pretty rigorous about force feedings; he'll take Ferretvite willingly and
duck soup unwillingly (haven't thawed the chicken gravy yet to try that).
He's gotten about 3 tsp of Ferretvite today and about 50cc of thin duck
soup.  He's been getting at least 10cc of water an hour.  He's had a couple
of stools and they're normal considering his diet.  Urine normal as well.
In fact, he seems perfectly healthy, if a bit thin, except that he can't
breathe.
 
The CBC came back and his white blood cells were above 25,000.  Everything
else was normal.  We're assuming a bacterial infection for now, and hoping
very much there's no tumor as well.  So we're continuing antibiotics and
trying to keep his strength up.
 
This morning, his breathing was more labored; this evening, it seems less
so.  We brought him into the ferret-room for a visit and he went through a
tube, checked his food and water dishes, sniffed noses with everyone, and
curled up with one of his buddies.  It was more energy than he's shown all
along.  I'm trying very hard not to hope.  Still, he looks *much* better
than he did 12 hours ago; he's breathing more easily, his eyes are
brighter, and he has more energy.  I know that if there's a tumor causing
all this, then all the good energy in the world won't help.  Still, it's
hard not to hope, when it took two of us to hold him still to take his meds
this evening, and I did it by myself yesterday.
 
Does anyone out there have any stories to tell of similar situations?  Any
avenues we haven't explored?  I think our vet was surprised when we decided
we wanted to know what was wrong and we wanted to do everything we could,
even if it wouldn't help.  We're going in tomorrow for more SC fluids and
probably a bit of oxygen, and more Baytril.  (Stuff tastes awful; I'm going
to have them inject his AM dose so I don't have to give it to him by
mouth.) Suggestions would be welcome.  We're focusing right now on keeping
him stable for long enough to figure out more about what's wrong and what
works.
 
And I just wrote a $230 check off an empty account.  They're holding it
until Friday for me, since that's when I get paid.  Rent?  What's rent? :-)
I think they were surprised when I didn't even blink.  We were there more
than an hour, and ran a million tests, and our vet was right with Amadeo
the whole time.  I thought the bill was more than reasonable.  And I know
I'll be writing more checks soon, starting tomorrow.  We didn't even
hesitate, though; how could we?  *This is not intended to be a thinly
disguised plea for money.*
 
My vets are great.  Dr. Courtney kept running back and forth with Deo so
he could spend as much time with us and as little time with strangers as
possible.  I don't think he cared; he's been poked and prodded by strangers
all his life.  Still, the thought definitely counted. :-)
 
Any input would be greatly appreciated.  Please feel free to mail me
privately.  I apologize for the length of this; I haven't slept in a few
days and I seem to be rambling.
 
Jen and the Crazy Business
[Posted in FML issue 2984]