My sweet little girl Minky passed away a month ago after bravely
battling adrenal disease and IBD for the entire time I had her. It
has taken me this long to be able to write about it as I was so grief-
stricken that I couldn't do it. I never said much about Minky's
personality because I was focused on getting her treatment for her
illnesses and finding a good vet. I adopted her in June 2009 from an
ad in Craigslist, which was part of a garage sale (yes, believe it or
not). I was told that she and Klondike, the male I adopted with her,
were 6 months and a year old. I knew the minute I saw them that they
were both older but it didn't matter to me. I took them anyway and
actually paid for them. I estimated they were about 3-4 years old.
Minky had 3 homes prior to ours, and was brought back and forth from
home 2 to home 3 a total of three times. At home 3, she was abused by
a teenage boy. At home 2 (and possibly all the others) she was not let
out of her cage. She had a broken canine from cage stress and was a
biter when she arrived. It was clear that she didn't trust humans, and
who could blame her. I didn't know anything about home 1, nor her
medical history. When I put her down for the first time, she ran and
hid so well that we couldn't find her until the next day when she came
out of hiding. We looked everywhere. She had gone inside a box with an
attached top where I kept some of Rocky's old toys. When lying in it
she blended in with the stuffed animals and toys. Klondike had the same
medical problems but was never sent to home 3. He was more social and
didn't bite, but he also hadn't experienced the same amount of abuse
and stress that Minky did. When Minky was feeling good she'd race
around with Klondike. He was a bit rough with her and much heavier, but
she could always outrun him and get into smaller spaces. I called her
the Queen of the Tube, because she was lightening fast in there. She
also continued to be the best disappearing artist and could hide so
well that she was often not seen until she came out herself. As time
went by, she bit less and eventually became a sweet ferret, my first
little girl.

After having diarrhea all summer despite trying every treatment out
there, and adrenal disease advancing despite having had a deslorelin
implant and then a 4-month Lupron shot, her little body gave up. She
had seen five different vets in the short time I had her. I tried
everything to try to help her. All summer I was shoving different
things down her throat to stop the diarrhea. I'm sure this stressed her
out. A month after she got the Suprelorin implant her hair began to
fall out. I had spent so much time trying to find a vet who would get
the implant and it seemed to make the problem worse. The Lupron shot 2
months later didn't help either. I still feel that it was my fault that
she became so ill because I didn't get her treatment immediately when
she first arrived. I didn't know she was so ill because she only had
diarrhea occasionally, she had all her fur and her vagina was not
swollen. I also had a difficult time finding a good vet, as usual. The
first one I found and liked, left the country 2 months later. The next
wanted to put her on Pepto Bismal for life rather than continue the
small dose of pred the first vet recommended. The third vet could not
get the deslorelin implant through the Human Society where he worked.
He convinced the Animal Medical Center to get them and they finally
did. I did not like the main vet I saw there with Rocky, as she said
something very unkind when he was ill and near death. So I saw another
vet who worked at AMC only half a day a week. I had used him toward the
end of Rocky's life because he made house calls and seemed to know his
stuff. Then he went away for the summer and recommended vet number 5,
who made house calls. This was necessary because at that point she
could not get from my home to a vet's without making a total mess in
the carrier and stressing us all out. I liked this vet very much,
though he's very young, but it is more costly to have house calls and
it is already very expensive here where I live. I tried my best to do
the right thing for her but I feel that I failed.

Now, I miss her so much, even though taking care of her had become very
difficult the past few months. I miss her sweet face, her bouncy happy
walk and the speed with which she moved. I miss seeing her and Klondike
in the funniest positions as they slept in a tote bag next to the bed.
Steve misses her very much too. But of all of us, Klondike is suffering
the most, as he lost his life-long companion. Minky died during the
night while sleeping with Klondike. After we removed her body he looked
all over for her. Then he seemed depressed and lonely. He has been
pooping where he knows he shouldn't and has taken to licking up as
much of his urine that he can get. We've been trying to give him more
attention but there's only so much we can do. We can never make up for
the loss of Minky.

Before adopting these two older ferret, I had only one ferret, Rocky,
whom I received when he was about 7 weeks old. A few months after
Rocky's death I was looking to adopt a ferret or two but wanted
relatively young ones, as I had just gone through three terrible
illnesses and a horrible death with Rocky. Since we have no car, I
couldn't go to a shelter to pick out a ferret, nor could I even go to
pick up a ferret from a private individual. These people were willing
to deliver the ferrets and I felt that if these ferrets were being sold
as part of a garage sale, they definitely needed a good home. But I was
not prepared to begin with serious illness while still grieving over
Rocky's illness and death.

I don't know how so many of you take in older, sick ferrets. It is just
so heartbreaking. I am glad there are people like you who are so kind
and loving that you are willing to spend the time, money and effort to
help these suffering little treasures. I have always thought of you as
true angels on earth. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of
you. And special thanks to Jeff, Zoo and Cathy for their advice and
support during the entire time Minky was with us. Your kindness will
not be forgotten.

Shron, Klondike
 & Angels Rocky & Minky

[Posted in FML 7229]