this has been a hard week.  Harley past on tuesday... Now Nibbles...
 
Well I was sitting here on the couch when I heard something from Nibbles
cage right next to me.  She had been scratching her tumor on her neck so
I figured that is what it was.  I got up and looked and she was seizing.
 
In 2003 Nibbles came to the shelter with 3 cagemates.  1 of the cagemates
was adopted out alone.  He was much happier that way.  The other 3 all
stayed together.  They ended up going to another shelter that wanted to
adopt them.  After a month or so one of the ferrets died suddenly - his
heart.  Then Drake began having seizures.  He went in for insulinoma
surgery but they found nothing wrong.  We took the 2 remaining ferrets
back with us knowing that Drakes time would be short.  He was with us
for another couple months.  Nibbles was then a single ferret and ok with
that... until Bonnie (BonBon) came here.... they hit it off after a bit
and have been together since 2004.
 
In 2004she went in for adrenal surgery.  It was found that her's was a
right adrenal and we didn't do anything because of the risk of hitting
the vena cava.
 
June 29, 2005 she ended up at the vets again.  She had crashed pretty
hard and didn't look good.  We all agreed that it was most likely her
adrenal gland had gotten real large.  But I made the call to do some
stronge antibotics.  It worked.  She recovered and was ok...
 
She has slowly been going down hill.  She has a tumor on her neck that
would open, then heal, then open again... She still had a good quality
of life.
 
Until today... June 30, 2006.  I hurried and called the vet and told them
I was bringing her in.  I rushed her to them.
 
They wanted to take her and put a cathiter in her.  I wouldn't let them.
That is NOT how we normally do it.  Normally the vet gives them a pain
shot to relax them, then they come back with the final shot.  I would not
let the tech take her from me.  I asked to have the doc some and talk to
me.  I was NOT happy.  I'm already crying and they want to take her from
my arms..  NO.
 
Our vet comes in... and I explain.  He said that they like to do it with
the cath.  I told him I didn't want to let her go ... so he checked her
veins and decided thta they couldn't get a cath.  in ... so would do the
pain meds and then the finat shot..  which he didn't in the kidneys...
which was different... but ok.  She wasn't in pain and was so peaceful.
 
I left and balled my eyes out.  I stopped long enough to get go into the
store to get dog food.  ...
 
Two deaths just this week... just too much to deal with.
 
Joanne
ferret corner shelter
[Posted in FML issue 5290]