Wanted to share our horrific experience with you all, and would appreciate
any knowlege or experiences you might have had that are similiar.
 
Several months ago I posted in search of a vet in the Park Rapids, Minn.
area where we would be spending our vacation.  Nobody answered; no
surprise; small town.  Little did we know just how much we would need a
vet when we finally arrived at our little rented cabin on the lake!!
 
We smuggled Fang in, as pets were not allowed.  Both of my vets here agreed
that we should not leave him with anyone due to his vulnerabiltiy at this
time.  (From insulinoma and pred, to diabetes; pred withdrawal finally
achieved right before we left on our trip.  His blood glucose had been
hanging in around 345 for the last six weeks.  We had to wean him off the
pred before we could start insulin injections; due to the timing of our
vacation, it was agreed upon not to start insulin until we returned.  No
vet we knew in Minn.to monitor him.
 
He traveled well; we smuggled him into motel rooms on the way.  He was only
out briefly to check out the room, then went into his cage on his own,
where he was secured for the night .  Both nights on the road I could
detect odors from the cleansers they had used in these rooms.  Got to the
cabin on Sat afternoon; Fang checked things out, then snuggled back into
his cage.( This was day six with no pred; acting fine, healthy appetite
for Bob's Chicken Gravy he receives four times a day.)
 
Sunday morning, our first full day at the lake, total horror set in.  He
began dragging his hind end around the cabin, lying exhausted after a few
feet.  When he tried to do his poopies or whizzes, he collapsed in it.  We
were terrified.  Called out vet back home to get us through the day until
we could find a vet in the area who might be competent with ferret care.
Put him back on pred (1/2 ml.) that we had brought along, thinking his
glucose may have dropped back into insulinoma condition.  Found a vet we
heard was *decent*.  Took him into emergency care that night; couldn't bare
to wait til morning, we were so afraid.  She took x-rays and blood tests.
Glucose came in at 342, rest normal.  X-rays showed some cloudiness in
chest area.  He had been fighting a cold for over a month; just a bit of
a snotty nose that was bothersome, but not affecting him in any other way
that we could see.  The amoxicillan hadn't done much the week prior to our
trip.  She gave him Baytril shot and we left not knowing what made him so
lethargic and his hind leg paralysis.  She warned us that the cloudiness
could be lympho setting in.
 
Will write this in two parts so it won't get rejected....Thank you for
staying with me, as I tend to ramble!
 
Lizzi
[Posted in FML issue 3100]