Dear FML:
 
I am sorry to have to tell you all that Jezzabel was assisted on her way
to the Rainbow Bridge late this morning with my vet's help.  She was
absolutley fine until yesterday in the late afternoon when I went to find
her and noticed that she seemed out of sorts.  I put her on the floor and
she began to walk with that wobbly gate that looked like insulinoma.
 
I picked her up and went outside to show her to Bill and see what he
thought and if he had noticed any unusual behavior.  We both noticed that
she seemed yellowish around her muzzle and around the areas on her ears
where there is little hair, but he reported that he had seen nothing
untoward in her behaviour.
 
By 6:30 I realized she was very wobbly in her gait and I began to think
that I was seeing the weakness associated with insulinoma.  I felt very
discouraged as I had been through that with our first ferret, Ferris, and
I was concerned.  I phoned the vet but they had closed for the day so I
left a message to see him this morning.
 
Bill came in at 3:00 a.m. this morning (from a night out) and spent till
4:30 with her.  He found her surronded by our other ferrets and he said it
seemed like they knew.  She was not uncomfortable at that time but he knew
something was very wrong.
 
At 8:00 a.m.  she was very quiet and I tried to feed her but she was not
interested but by 11:00 when I got her to the vet she was unable to use her
legs and her head was being pulled up by muscle contractions.  She had also
bit me quite badly as I held her close as she was beginning to seizure.
 
There was not much of a decision to make - the vet took examined her and
we could both see she was suffering neurological damage by the way she
presented.  The vet also suspected liver damage.
 
I held her close and the vet put her to sleep.  I have never before asked
for an autopsy on any ferrets but I felt that I had to know what on earth
had gone wrong.
 
Dr. Dewey called me later this afternoon to give me the results and as he
had suspected she had damage to several of the lobes of the liver - they
were discoloured and there were tumour-like attachments between the liver
and the gall bladder.  (At least I think that was what he said - I think I
am still in shock over this).
 
Her body fat was bright yellow indicating severe jaundice.
 
I pick up her little body on Monday and I will get the printed up autopsy
at that time.
 
Jezzabel was a sable who came to us through adoption from Ferret Aid.  She
was a sweet little girl whose greatest joy was savouring raisons from my
hand.  She war danced right up till the end and for that I am grateful and
I am thankful that this was fast.  I will bury her in the backyard with
Meeka on Monday afternoon and next weekend we will find a beautiful piece
of Muskoka granite to mark her place.
 
Bill says he will always remember waking up early in the morning one time
at the cottage to find her standing on his pillow and smiling at him.
 
She joins Ferris, Meeka and Molly at the Rainbow Bridge where she waits,
with all my beloved pets, for me.  I am counting on being with them all
when my time comes.
 
Skeeter please make sure you watch for her and make sure she finds Ferris,
Meeka and Molly.
 
I am going to go have a shower now and cry where no one can hear me.
 
Lynn
[Posted in FML issue 2802]