Hi all, we haven't been on for a while so I'd better give an up-date.
Hjalmar has almost died a few times recently because of Cushings
complications.  The first was 2 months ago and was sepsis (with
Cushings the resistance to disease goes way down). The last 2 happened
less than a week ago and then again on Sunday.  The first was
probably an Addison's crisis but we are not sure, and the cause of the
second is also up in the air. Basically once an animal is in shock
or the liver and spleen are so enlarged that a blood vessel bursts it
is pretty hard to pin which of several possibilities is the
immediate problem.  Today some very important progress was made:  the
causes (yes, plural) of his Cushings were discovered.  He has masses
in BOTH adrenal glands which are now large enough to image on ultra-
sound.  This means that removing the adrenals is now an option.  Wish
Hjalmar well -- He's over 7 and has been Cushingoid for 11 months now,
but he's going to have both adrenal glands and possibly his spleen out
on Friday.  The vet has an excellent track record -- He trained both at
the AMC and with Jeglum and he has not yet lost one to an adrenal op.
(Of course, the others were a lot younger.  It's just recently with
C-Lysodren being tested in ferrets with Cushings without a visible
tumor that this survivability in such a situation has become possible.)
The good news is that many ferrets without adrenal glands cope well
without medication.  The bad news is that he probably would not survive
one or two more episodes of shock or hemmorage so there's no real
choice but the national survival rate for this op is 80%.
 
Fortunately, he LOVES going to the vet and will run to his carry cage
when he hears that he's going.  He flirts with all the women there
(He always did but his C-L makes him so down-right randy that he out-
does everyone but Pepy L'Pu). Between his rolly-polly doll shape,
his almost complete baldness from the chest down and his bald head he
really makes a very humourous harem owner. He just KNOWS how
desirable he is, and frankly he's a real favorite there with vets and
techs rushing out before we can get out the door so they can pat him
just once more before he goes or give him just a bit more Nutrical
on their finger tips.  This guy must be the Woody Allen of ferrets.
 
When he's gone the other 3 search for him everywhere and he's guaranteed
loads of kisses whenever he returns.
 
The others are doing well.
 
The friend we posted about last year who had 2 ferrets then 8 and 9
years old just lost the older one to old age.  She was comatose but
when "Mommy" picked her up she regained consciousness, lifted her
head, shared a kiss, put down her head and just passed away. (This
was one of the older convenience ferrets we knew about.).
 
Meltdown opens zippers now.  We have to watch any soft luggage or
satchels or she will open them and climb in.  We finally gave up
on the bathtub plug with had a screw on knob.  She unscrewed and hid
the knob so many times that replacing it killed the plug.
 
We were sorry to hear about the little one who died of rubber in her
gut.  Recently Meltdown had a terrible fur ball which we were luckily
able to get her to pass.  Because the become dehydrated and go into
electrolyte imbalance so fast the rule of thumb is that you have only
a 24 hour window or they will probably be lost to either the blockage
or to those 2 problems.  Sometimes 48 hours is possible but it becomes
extremely less likely that one will survive then.
 
By the way, Hjalmar now gets about 1/4 or more of Brewer's yeast each
day and has never had an insulinoma (We have had the pancreas ultra-
sounded.) so the hypothesis that chromium lacking in US ferret diets
may have some support if there are enough ferrets 6 or over who have
been on yeast and not developed the problem.  Anyone else out there
with personal data which may shed a bit of light?  Our's love Schiff
in water as a sort of soup.
 
'Chopper (Helicopter) was recently caught 6 1/2 feet up a wall. She had
climbed a chair and gone from it's back on to the first of a series
of sketches on the wall then simply climbed from one to another.
 
Our best to all.  We have been reading you even though we haven't
posted in a while.
 
                Love (or like?) from:  Sukie, Steve, Hjalmar,
                Meltdown, and 'Choppy (yes, we've known some
                of you long enough and well enough, and been
                helped enough by you that a sentimental old
                lady should be able to sign as with a letter.)
 
[Old?  Nah!  BTW: that card was stunning.  Thank you.]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0342]