I only knew Robbie for a few short hours this past week. Our ferret sitter, who was sitting for another person, called us in a panic and said that it appeared Robbie had a possible bowel obstruction (our sitter is a vet tech and is very good at diagnostics usually). We had her bring the poor little guy over to us and my wife, an RN looked him over. Tight, distended belly..and in obvious pain. Sluggish and eyes half closed. Of course they always go bad after hours or on weekends, don't they. We made a few calls including one to our vet who had no staff to assist her if she came in, however she put us in touch with a vet clinic in Tucson, about an hour's drive away that is open 24 hours and is ferret literate. With no time to lose, we jumped in the car and drove through the most horrendous thunderstorm I've seen in years to deliver him to the kind and caring hands of the Valley Vet Clinic. A quick workup showed that he was a train wreck inside with multiple problems including a bowel that would need a resect, bad adrenal, insulinoma and prostate/bladder problems. They got an IV started and operated with good results that night. He was stable but guarded. Robbie held on mightily over the next 24 hours, but could not empty his bladder without a cath, so the owner, who was in constant contact with the vet, gave the OK to put him down. He was only 5-6 and a sweet little guy. Please greet him as he comes across to have his full health restored once again. Here's to fins in the water, feathers in the aire and tails in the tall summer grass. Putorius and the current gang of 8.remembering Bubba, Bodie, Blizzard, BonBon, Pal, Flower, Max, ABBA the dancing Queen and the rest of the tribe over the bridge waiting for all of us one day. [Posted in FML 6029]