Someone wrote in mentioning the sick ferrets discussed here, and asked if
ferrets ever die of old age.  Well, most of the sick ones ARE old.  It is
just like with people -- some get sick young (and most get past it with
treatment and care, but some have things they can't get past), then most
get serious health problems eventually with age.  You know how it is with
elderly human relatives -- everyone who dies dies of SOMETHING, but the
person might just not wake up one morning because of a stroke or a heart
attack, or whatever.  Same with ferrets.  When 'Chopper goes it might happen
that she won't wake up one day, because with advanced age she developed an
unusual subset of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  ('Choppie's not doing so
well, BTW.  She isn't tolerating the increased dose of Digoxin so it's being
reduced back to 0.1 ml and she'll have the Digoxin blood level checked in a
blood test next week after it stablizes.  Some of the problems could be too
much Digoxin, but some might be that her cardiomyopathy is worsening
rapidly.  Thank goodness for flannel shirts: tie 'em up, drop in the ferret,
and go about life with the little one warm and watched carefully.  Okay, so
I have scratches on my tum from her chilly toes; so what?)
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2307]