Hi Everybody!
 
It's been quite a while since I have posted anything.  I don't get to read
the FML as much as I used to but I always save them to a disk so that when I
do get time I can read them all.
 
Just read the one for June 28-29 and was bothered by a post from Suki
Crandall stating that someone had gotten angry with her.  It bothers me a
lot when people on this list argue and fight.  As silly as it seems because
we are all human (ferrets would never dream of arguing) it still bothers me.
Because of that very reason I would like to tell my story.
 
Our first ferret was a sweet, precious little girl named Tasha.  That was
over four years ago.  We got her from a pet store and didn't know the first
thing about ferrets.  We did know enough to feed her Iams Kitten food.
Tasha was the best thing to have ever happened to us.  Tasha would crawl up
in our laps and sleep in our arms for the longest time.  She would even
sleep with us.  Tasha died on June 8, 1996.  She had developed adrenal
cancer and because the vets I had then and because I was new to AOL, we
didn't know enough to save her.  The vet I had was an old country vet who I
had trusted for years with my other animals.  He just didn't know ferrets.
Tasha first showed signs of a swollen vulva.  He thought it was an
infection.  After a while she became bald like they always do.  We took her
to another vet who was more knowledgeable but he told me that adrenal
surgery was too risky that all the ones he knew of died.  I couldn't stand
the thought of that.  So I started reading all I could from the bulletin
boards and the internet.  She started to grow all her hair back so we
thought that it had been a misdiagnosis.  Then her vulva swelled again and
so we asked for help and learned about Lysodren.  Took her to another vet
and asked him about it and so we started her on the medicine.  We still
didn't know much.  The medicine must have been too strong for her because
she started bleeding internally.  A fact we weren't even aware of until it
was too late.  She hated the medicine and refused to take it.  We had to
force her and it breaks my heart to think of what we put her through when
she knew all along it wasn't right.  She spent her last days in agony
because we were too dumb to know any better.  If only we had found someone
who could have given her the surgery...I know she would still be alive
today.  We did give her a mercy shot that last night because she was
bleeding from every opening in her body and it was too late.  There is not a
day goes by that I don't miss her.  That vet and I have both learned a lot
since last year.  Together we have worked to learn all we could.  He accepts
any information I find and is more than willing to learn more and more.  I
can't bring Tasha back but because of what we learned from her we were able
to save our Weasey, who tests said he had lymphosarcoma.  That was last
August when he had his spleen removed.  He is on prednisone every other day
but now 10 months later, he is still alive.  I did get two opinions on him
and the one vet only gave him 2 mo.  to live.  My Dr. Kerley, the one who is
learning with me, did the surgery.
 
I guess my whole point to all of this is that don't give up.  Learn all you
can, spend the money.  The money is nothing compared to losing one of our
babies.  All through Suki's Meltdown's hard times, it never ceased to amaze
me at how they kept her going.  I only wish I could have done that for
Tasha.  We have 12 ferrets now and I love them all more than words can say.
I am always broke and Dr. Kerley jokes about how I should just sign my
paycheck over to him.  He is a wondeful man and I don't know what we would
do without him.  Please people.  Take risks, stick your neck out and try
anything you can.  Learn, learn, learn...but most of all, don't judge others
for what they do or do not do.  These little fuzzies are God's angels and we
must work together to make everything better for them.  May God Bless all of
you and your babies and place a healing hand on all of those who are ill.
For those of you who are worried and scared...hang in there.  Don't give up.
 
Love, hugs and kisses to all,
Pat and the Magnificent Dozen
[Posted in FML issue 1988]