After reading the sad story of Bailey and his unfortunate end I must
relate my own experience with a blocked male recently. Two ferrets were
left out in the sun at an apartment when some dolt apparently moved and
left them there. A couple young men found them and brought them to me.
One is normal, the other is the baldest I've ever seen. He was large
and his bladder was huge. I was ready to take him in soon or the next
day. I put them in a cage, a Ware type with rigid levels, the larger
type with a wire cylinder for climbing. He was fairly active in spite
of his condition, and he climbed to the second level. Later I heard a
noise and him gasping, and I found him at the bottom of the steep ramp.
He soon died in my arms.

I can only conclude that the weight of the urine in his bladder pushed
him down the ramp too fast and he broke his neck.

The cage was removed after that. I suppose it is fine for healthy
ferrets but I am sorry I used it in this case.

[CG]

[Posted in FML 6005]