>From:    Sunshine <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Expense
>I hope I don't get anyone mad at me for this.  My family and I don't like
>to see any animal suffer.  Why do you all go threw the expense for helping
>the sick?  Don't get me wrong, we love all our ferret's, but spending
>$1,000 or more just doesn't sound reasonable to me.  How do you know the
>animal is not suffering? ...
 
Why do people spend so much to help out their ailing animal companions?
For most of us, it's called LOVE.  We know there isn't a price tag on the
unconditional love our furry friends share with us.  The mad dash to give
and receive hugs and kisses in the morning, the frolic and playtimes we
share, and even the quiet times we occasionally get with them are the good
things are all a part of the unwritten, unspoken contract that exists
between care giver and animal companion.  The other part is that we care
for them when they are ill, without asking the price tag.  Unconditional
love is just that -- it doesn't come with a fine print rider stating the
ties we share are null and void if a certain price limit is reached.
 
Perhaps if all animal loving humans stopped referring to themselves as
ferret owners, or dog/cat/horse owners and started referring to themselves
and others as animal care givers the question of why we willingly accept
certain expenses wouldn't be asked any more.
 
As for the question of how does one know an animal isn't suffering?
Anyone who takes the time to really get to know their animal friends in
particular, and animals in general, will quickly learn how to spot the
signs of pain and suffering.  There does come a time when it is necessary
to let a beloved friend make his or her last journey and sometimes it is
necessary to help them along.  But, with experience, we learn to tell when
that time has come.  Old timers knew that the phrase "spark of life" wasn't
a cute phrase -- there is a spark of life that can be recognized in the way
an animal looks.  Their muscle tone is different, their coat looses body,
lustre and tone, and most importantly, their eyes signal that the time has
come.  The eyes that sparkled and shone with merriment, vitality, and life
lose that sparkle as their time comes closer.  There are other physical
symptoms that an animal friend is suffering -- ferrets in pain tend to
grind their teeth.  They lose a mental alertness in what is going on
around them.
 
Why go to all the expense to help them out when they are ill?  A better
question is why not?  All the money in the world can't begin to repay the
unconditional love they have given their human friends -- so, it's the
least we can do.
 
Scott
[Posted in FML issue 2803]