My wife and I took Bandit to the vet Saturday.  He has been on Lysodren and
Prednisone for two months.  He continues to lose hair.  We estimate his
age at around 6, because he was found in the streets by the local animal
control.  He has the two MF tattoos in his ear.  The vet, Dr Jeff Shaffer
said that since there was little if any improvement after two months of
Lysodren, that he recommends surgery.
 
I hate to do it to the little guy, but I do not want to wait until he is so
bad that nothing can be done.  The vet took blood samples and will probably
set up the surgery for Monday, April 20.  He will take him home over night
and then we will pick him up the next day.
 
Bandit is a gentle little soul, but he has become aggressive with the other
ferrets because of adrenal hormones.  The last thing on this earth that he
would ever do is bite a person.  He has always sort of "chosen" me as his
human, and I feel grateful for that.  I love him, as we all love our
fuzzies, but some just seem to draw you closer to them.
 
The decision to go ahead with the surgery was not easy.  But, I did not
want some other problem, such as prostate blocking the urethra or a bladder
obstruction to crop up on a weekend and have to take him to an emergency
vet.  If he needs to be operated on, I want Dr. Shaffer to be the one to
do it.
 
I wish there were something or someone I could walk up to, beat the hell out
of, and Bandit would be cured.  I know we all want something like that, but
it doesn't work that way.  I'm just glad he doesn't know what is in store
for him.  Someone on this list once posted something to the effect that
"Those of us who love creatures with a shorter live span than our own, leave
ourselves open to heartache." I feel that today.  Thanks to all on this list
and especially to BIG.
 
Just knowing you are out there helps.
 
Charlie, Ag, Donna, Cujo, Bandit, Snowball and Valentine
in Kissimmee.
We remember Kodo, Rocky and Spokane.
[Posted in FML issue 2275]