It presented somewhat differently than most people describe so I want to tell about it in case that helps another ferret. The best way I know to mourn her is to hope that what she suffered might teach someone else in time to help another. Three days ago she began looking a bit weak in the hind end, but not enough and not consistently enough to look like the general symptom of hind end weakness. Now, she has not been very well for some time and was still on two antibiotics fighting a very resistant infection of her vulva, so some weakness and tiredness would be normal for her situation. Yesterday she was a little clumsy, but still within normal bounds for her situation and she certainly managed to play a lot yesterday. It was a very busy day for her. She ran, she wrestled, she climbed the bed. But she was a bit clumsy with her rear quarters. We thought she was just out of shape and needing to regain muscle so we were extra happy about all of the play she enjoyed. The clumsiness was a clue it turns out. It was probably due to diabetic neuropathy beginning. I wish we had checked her for ability to feel surface pain that day or the next yesterday. I want people to think of that and remember it if they see anything similar. Just try foot pinches. We did not have a current blood glucose monitor. We're getting an Alphatrak but have no monitor right now. Honestly, I don't know if I'd have thought of diabetes, probably not, even if we had one. Last night she had one weak time but was fine a short while later so we figured she was just exhausted. Today we found that during the night she had apparently been unable to get to the food and water and had gotten urine and feces on herself. She did not seem to be able to feel surface pain to her feet, was turning them inwards and had very poor control of feet and legs though she could move them. She ate and drank greedily with us holding the food and water. Then she felt like kissing but her mouth was cold -- colder than it should have been. We had already called ahead to the vet and set out for the hour ride there. She had diarrhea on the way there. By the time we reached the vet office she had perked up. Her liver and kidneys were functioning fine but her ketones were high and her blood glucose was over 700. She pegged the machine so we don't know quite how high it was. Attempts to place a catheter were not successful. So, the calls began because she was in need of a 24 hour facility and right now the vets at our hospital can not do that. One also runs a shelter, one just became a parent, and another just moved. The two closest ones did not have anyone in who treats ferrets normally, especially for something as rare as this. There was not a huge chance that she would have made it for the ride to either one. The third was an hour and a half away. Her chances were incredibly slim and the possibility of her having a decent life were very low so we opted for a mercy shot with cuddling first and then cuddling with her sedated before a mercy shot. She passed on her own before her injection while we three were cuddling, just minutes after sharing kisses once more. So, if you have a ferret who is having stumbling times, please, try a surface pain check and if you have a glucose monitor also check blood glucose. It could be diabetic neuropathy causing even intermittent clumsiness. It will all make more sense if what she went through helps someone else. Whizbang was so good during Steve's recent serious illness (luckily not a malignancy) and used to insist on checking him each night as he slept just as we always checked her. She tried to do for her people as they did for her. She was a real trooper, too. This was just too much for her and she passed away too young at almost age 6 and 1/2. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html [Posted in FML 6457]