Cameron's back legs had been getting very stiff over the past few months, I
nearly took him to the vet yesterday but this morning he was really bad he
would fall over after doing a couple of 'bunny hops'.  He staggered over to
the food bowl and had his breakfast and then tried to climb onto the settee
to settle down for a snooze.  I gently lifted him up and he crawled over to
his favourite corner, I covered him with a blanket but what got me was the
look in his eyes, the puzzled look seemed to say, "What's wrong?  Why can't
I walk?  Why can't I climb?"
 
An hour later I walked up the road to the vet's with Cameron in my arms, he
just lay there just watching traffic and sniffing the air.  I put Cameron
down on a patch of grass and he just sniffed at the blades of grass and made
no attempt to stand.  I think if he had got up and moved around I might just
have gone back home with him.  When we arrived at the vet's Cameron just
lay on my knee and didn't even want to get down to explore - very un-ferret
like.
 
The vet did say that Cameron could be given drugs that might help his legs
but the side effects would probably damage his kidneys and liver.  As it was
the vet could feel Cameron's enlarged spleen and he said that he could also
feel nodules.  I mentioned 'Quality of life' - the vet picked up a
hypodermic syringe and filled it with yellow fluid.  I put some Ferretone
in the palm of my hand and Cameron totally ignored what the vet was doing
and concentrated on licking up all the Ferretone, his tongue just lapped
slower and slower.  It was so peaceful, no struggle, he just went to sleep.
I hope by now that he found Deanna and that they are running and playing
together.
 
Cameron would have been with me for 2 years on the 13th May.  He was about 9
years old.
 
Cameron is now lying on the passenger seat in the Land Rover and Ron and I
will shortly be taking him up to a small wood to bury him near Deanna and
Jill.
 
Sheila
Bolton Ferret Welfare & National Ferret Welfare Society Newsletter Editor
http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm (Last Update 29 April 1998)
Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill, Deanna Troi & Cameron
[Posted in FML issue 2303]