Hi All,
 
I will have to post this update on Otee and Tribble and the rest of the FANG
GANG to the FML rather than my private update to all that have written me
due to my pooter going into the shop next week 1st thing.  It may be gone
most of the week and I will be pooterless for that time, (Ohhhhhhhh
Nooooooooo!), also our newsletter from FANG will be late now due to this
too:-( Bummer!  I have to do it now as I have a wonderful opportunity to get
it looked at and fixed if at all possible for a very low cost to me.  Maybe
after this I will finally have that reliable pooter I have wished for:-)
 
When I picked the boys up from the vet the other day I got a real shocker of
a bill at over $400 in the end but still it was MUCH less than it could have
been if our Angel Vet didn't tend to leave things off my bills for some
reason:-) <GGG> Since we had no idea what Otee would require done as it was
an exploratory we also had no idea what the cost would be.  Then Tribble
ended up with more things needed done than we knew of too.
 
Otee had an adrenal the size of a thumbnail as our vet said or as we say a
very deformed marble or larger and the normal size is that of a plastic head
on a sewing pin or even so tiny a vet can hardly find it at times!!  It was
disgusting and full of nodules etc..  with NO normal tissue left at all.  It
would have eventually caused other severe problems that would have killed
him and possibly even soon the vet said.  I feel he was already dieing tho
as he had lost about 1/4 to 1/2 lb. of weight in only a few weeks time and
did nothing but sleep anymore.  I could tell he was miserable and ready to
give up, that is why I made his appt.  for the 1st day possible after our
Angel vet was back from vacation which was his 1st day back THANK GOD!
Otee's adrenal had grown so large as to have joined slightly all along it
with the vena cava and one nick to that in the removal and Otee would have
bled to death before anything could be done.  Our Angel vet said he looked
at his boss who was watching the procedure and asked if he thought he should
just close him up and not do anything.  I am very grateful he said that the
angel vet must try to help Otee.  That he had no quality of life the way he
was and so it must be done for him to have a chance at normal life for
probably the 1st time in his young life.  So our Angel vet Dr. Koob said he
let his boss Dr. Stoenner do his shaking for him as he very slowly worked at
removing the huge mass from Otee.  I have been priviledged to be a part of a
miracle here and Otee is now truly my miracle baby boy.  Can't wait to see
what he will be like once he is healthy for the 1st time ever.  I am sure
his personality will change as well.  I even have his nasty adrenal as it is
saved in Formalin (sp?) in a small plastic container.  I have many of the
diseased organs saved in this manner as I feel people listen much more to my
descriptions and warnings of these problems if they also have a visual aid
to catch their attention.
 
Tribble had a bad adrenal too but nothing like Otee's and his spleen was
humongous in size so it too came out as planned.  The adrenal looked more
like Larry's was and was so much smaller than Teasey's (Otee) was.  I am
glad for that tho.  The spleen was around 6 to 7 inches long and about 5 to
6 inches wide.  Very large indeed.  I think Dr. Mike said it was perhaps 15
times normal size or more, I can't quite remember as I was in a state of
small shock over it.  It must have really weighed him down and made him
miserable too.  Also he had 3 mast cell tumors on his body that that Angel
Mike removed with no charge!  I say he is a leopard ferret now, only his
spots are shaved little areas on his poor body.  I tell him he is still my
most gorgeous little boy and the hair will grow back real soon.  At least
the tumors are gone for now before they got too big and yucky.
 
So now they are both sleeping a lot and recovering well so far.  They are
perfect patients as all I have to do is crush the prednisone up on a lid and
put ferretone on it and they lick it right up, then I put the syringe with
antibiotics out to them and they take it in their mouths and suck it right
down too.  Plus they scarf down the Deliver 2.0 I give them twice a day for
added nutrition and some badly needed weight gain.  What wonderful, sweet,
good little boys I have:-) Lightstar is still on Prednisone too since I
think he may have some arthritis and he has always licked his right up like
a good boy as well.
 
Fancy Dancer sure does fit her name now as she dances and pounces all over
the place.  She seems to have grown sooo big it seems to me.  Not that teeny
tiny baby I brought home anymore.  Last I weighed her she was at 1 1/4 lbs
already and I think she is larger than that at this time.  Cloud is a really
big boy so Katie says and may have hit the 2 lb.  mark by now.  Not sure
until I hear from her again about his weight.  Unfortunately it has now been
discovered that he is blind too.  Poor, sweet boy.  Katie is always thinking
of good ways to teach him what he needs to know and I try to wrack my brain
to help them too.  He is doing just great other than being blind.
 
I am very happy to say that for some reason that terrible breeder here that
I am trying to get closed down never had anymore babies.  I had a new friend
call inquiring if she had any and she said no but would have more next year.
That's what she thinks!!!  I am still working to get her stopped and rescue
the 3 breeders but at least I no longer have any babies to worry about that
could have been born and receiving horrible care.  We were prepared to have
3 of us go down and buy them all if need be.  I have a perm in my hair now
and with a great make-up job I look nothing like I did when she saw me so I
doubt she would have recognized me anyway.  I am real relieved that is not
necessary now.  I wonder if the MOMMY ferret just went into a false
pregnancy with her trying to breed her so soon after having given birth?
Guess I'll never know about that.
 
Larry and Stryker continue to grow hair back each day and are feeling great.
Larry can be quite the little trouble maker now that he feels better.  Two
Socks is having a ball too.  Both of the used to be biter girls are doing so
great I am just thrilled.  The less bitey one only bites too hard in play
and not even as hard as she did before.  My mjor biter is no longer that.
She still wants to try and bite but way more softly now and all I do is say
a little loudly "NO BITE MOMMY" and she pulls right away.  I have not had
the skin broken once since the last time I mentioned it and she had only
been here a week or so then.  I do not know if they would be this way to
strangers right now, I doubt it, but I am glad to not be getting new body
piercings myself at least.<GGG>
 
Squeeker calmed down some more thru the nite and I can pick him up in a
blanket now and handle him that way.  He will stay in the bedroom alone
during his whole stay most probably as I do not EVER see him accepting other
ferrets.  He is far too scared of them to try it anymore I feel.  I will
pick him up to love and cuddle only with the blanket at least until my 17
(yes he nailed me again later that nite) wounds have time to heal.  If I
keep getting bit that bad in the same area it could cause me some real
problems I think.  I am not angry with this poor, sweet, scared to heck
little boy at all.  I know he reacted out of extreme fear and had no clue
what he was doing was to me I believe.  Then I think he was very angry at my
hands for having had to scruff him so darn hard to stop from having my hand
bit to shreds.  That is why I think he nailed me again later when I tried to
pet him quickly.  At least he only punctured me twice that time as I was
more prepared for him to attack.  So very, very slowly we will handle this
one day by day.  I am sure he much prefers to be alone and only have my
company occasionally while I am at the pooter.
 
Well that is it for the FANG GANG.  All the other kids are doing fantastic
and just having fun each day.  I will be gone from the pooter world for
possibly a week with mine in the shop for repairs so obviously I cannot
answer any e-mail during that time.  I will post to let you all know when I
am back and reachable again.  At that time I will start working like a
maniac to get the newsletter done and out.  I apologise for it's being late
two times in a row now.  One person just can't keep up with all this and
manage to have everything on time all the time I guess:-( So you all have a
great next week and I will talk to you real soon.  THANKS EVERYONE!  TNT!
 
*********************************************************
*          Kelleen Andrews  &  The FANG GANG!!!!        *
*     President and Founder of F.A.N.G. Shelter/Club    *
*         (Ferret Association of Neverending Glee)      *
*           405 S. Orchard   Boise, Idaho  83705        *
*                                                       *
*         208-342-7292     [log in to unmask]        *
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
*    I'll take a good animal over a good mate anyday!   *
*    All they want is lots of love and great chow.      *
*********************************************************
[Posted in FML issue 1657]