Hello, We all had a very hard day today.  Still, so far it's turned out
better than I had expected.  Please, think of us sometime with kind wishes.
 
As you know our vet, Hanan Caine of Basking Ridge (N.J.) Animal Hospital (an
incredibly talented surgeon and true ferret lover -- great vet), and Steve
and I have suspected for a while that something more was going on with
Ruffie than level 4 (on a 10 point scale, with 10 the worst) heart disease.
She didn't want to eat or drink and had been having spells which were hard
to pin down, but her tests weren't showing what was going on.  By short of
two weeks ago her spells had obviously become grand mal convulsions, and by
last Saturday they had increased to the point of coming every two days to
twice a day, with loss of bladder and sometimes also of bowels.  At that
point they were severe enough that she started phenobarb even without
definitive tests, and fortunately she had no siezures since.  As a result of
her rapid decline, on Monday another full body ultra sound was done (as well
as another blood sugar, which was on the upper low side this time).  It
showed a very large and shockingly rapidly growing liver cyst.  In the short
time that was available before the cyst became too large we had to decide
whether to operate.
 
This morning Ruffle had a very long two vet operation.  Less of her liver
had to be lost than expected, only a quarter of it, but none of her liver
looks particularly normal though it is functional, thank goodness.
(Hopefully, she won't grow another cyst.)
 
There were two other problems which did not show up on the ultra sound.  She
had two pancreatic masses, and there was a tumor on her left adrenal.  Those
are gone now, but the adrenal was a problem.  (Hopefully, she actually has a
right adrenal, otherwise we will have to maintain her on meds.  One could
not be seen.  They do tend to be small but Ruffie also has numerous birth
deformities.) Her left adrenal had two major blood vessels which should NOT
have been there going to it, so she lost a lot of blood with that as well as
with her liver.  (BTW, her spells had not been affected one way or the other
by having sugar at any time, and she never had any hair loss with the
adrenal (though she had a bit more than a 10 percent change in vulval size
in the last few weeks), but then individuals with her form of dwarfism have
absolutely fantastic fur or hair which is far more lush than any the rest of
the world could even dream of hoping for.)
 
For folks who are new here, or are lost in the morass of so many ferrets
being discussed: Ruffle is a 6 year old acondroplasic dwarf, who has related
arthritis, is shaped like and moves more like a skunk than a ferret, has
non-cardiomyopathic heart disease, happens to be retarded (which in her case
meant it took three years for her to realize words mean anything, even ones
like "treat", so took three years to learn mouth manners, but has not had a
slip-up since then), suffers with asthma, has a nose that runs so much that
she can actually use a handkerchief, can't get along with the others, has to
have us move her scent for her since her arms are too short to face wash,
gets lots of skin tumors, etc.  She has been through a huge amount, but she
just keeps plugging on, brupp-bruppping almost non-stop, and loving
unconditionally.  The breeders were trying for short faces and for plush
coats.  They got both, and a large amount that they had not counted upon.
She does have possibly the most beautiful face ever seen; she's a ringer for
a malamute puppy.
 
If she is up to it we will visit her tonight.  She'll be in hospital for
probably 3 to 5 days, and may have to be transfered to a twenty-four hour
intensive care setting.
 
                        Please, wish us all well,
 
Sukie, Steve, Meltdown (who has cardiomyopathy and ventricular bigemini --
controlled so far by Enacard and Dig., and is happy, healthy, strong, and
self-pacing), Ruffle, 'Chopper the organic helicopter, Spot, Meeteetse, and
Warp, 172 Jamestown Rd.  (about 1 mile from Rt.  78, also close to 287,
BOB), Basking Ridge, N.J.  07920, 1-908-580-0506 (Catalog companies may use
our mailing address, but not phone.)
[Posted in FML issue 1578]