Sorry to be slow to update on Solo; it has been an unusual, and emotionally
devastating week.
 
Solo left us yesterday at around 4:00 pm.
 
His temperature had finally dropped on Thursday, (had been 103 to 105) and
he had started to hold his head up by himself to eat.
 
He would pull himself out of his blankets and over to his paper towels to
relieve himself about half of the time, towards the end.  He was having a
really difficult time getting his tail up far enough to keep it clean, so
we had to help him with his hygiene and keep him wiped off since he was
unable to lift his body.  He barely used his back legs at all, towards the
end.
 
He had one more day to go on his two-week course of Biaxin/Amoxy for
possible helicobacter.  He was getting Carafate.
 
Solo was getting around 200 mls of Lactated Ringers every day, and being
fed a soup of kibble, A/D, Ensure Plus, and Ferretvite.  He willing took
his food during most of his illness.  We had started him on Pediapred for
about 4 days, but he quit eating, and his condition did not improve, so the
Pred was discontinued.
 
Solo had begun to vocalize more the last day or so.  It was a soft little
sound, almost like a kitten purring.  He did not appear to be in any pain,
except when he would grind his teeth, which was usually only during feeding
or meds.  He loved to be held.
 
On Friday, I had given him his mini-bath (back half only) to clean up his
little bottom, because it is difficult to get all the solid material out of
his fur if he would 'go' while I was not close by.  I had dried his fur
with a dryer on a low setting, and had shaved some of his fur in the area
to help with the problem.  He was rather activated, and very alert.  He
even had his eyes open and was holding his head up by himself just to look
around.  He seemed to be enjoying the brushing and drying.  I placed him
into a hammock that is made like a sleep-sack that is fleece lined, and he
'checked it all out'.  He was so 'stimulated'.
 
I laid him in his bed to clean up the area I had given him his bath, and
warmed up his food.  When I went back to get him, I could see his eyes were
wide open, and he had a bottle brushed tail.  I picked him up, and he was
gone.
 
A necropsy is being done to try to determine what took this healthy 18
month old in just under a month.
 
I want to thank everyone that posted to me here and privately; you are a
wonderful group.  I will still be contacting each of you that sent emails
directly to me.
 
I'll post the necropsy results, when I get them back.
 
If anyone would like more details of the symptoms or course of treatment,
you can email me....
 
Julie
 
=====
Julie Fossa
West Central Ohio Ferret Shelter
419/ 225-8383
 
"Just A Place To Hang Your Hammock
 While You're Looking for A Home!"
[Posted in FML issue 2944]