Post by opiesmom on Feb 10, 2010 0:35:41 GMT -5
This my third time trying to post on here. I hope I can finish this time. It is very nice to see that the last post was January 4,(Ranger, so sorry) not to many have gone to the bridge, thank God. Sorry for the long post but Opie deserves it.
Opie's Story
2/7/2003 - 2/7/10
I had just lost my little girl Misty and I was very lonely, so I looked on Craigs list and there he was. $100 2 1/2 yr old ferret with cage. I drove the hour one way and when I saw him, he look so big compared to Misty's 1 1/2 lbs. He was almost 4 lbs. He was beautiful. The lady got him from her son who didn't have time for him anymore. So he went from Texas to California. Then the lady got a puppy and didn't have time for him anymore either. She was very happy to see him go home with me knowing he would be taken good care of and I thanked her very much for letting me have him. She let me have him for $50. I would have paid the $100. That was July 29, 2005.
Once we got home it felt like he belonged there. He settled right in. We had 3 1/2 wonderful and happy and healthy years. Then last January he had the hair loss and was very itchy. I felt bad for him because all he did was scratch. He'd go a few steps then stop to itch. Off to the vets we went. Adrenal disease. I am greatful I have a great vet. He does know ferrets and has other vets he asks question if he doesn't know. The vet and I talked about surgery but decided against it because he was already six years old and didn't want to put him through that so we went with the menantonin. I still wonder what would have happened if we did the surgery then. After about three days on the melantonin the itching stopped. And after about 3 weeks his hair came back. He grew the softest and silkiest coat. He was doing really great. Then in November he had peeing issues and off to the vets again. Within two days he was very sick. The adrenal tumor grew so large it was putting pressure on his prostate and it absessed. His little belly was full of infection. I didn't think he would make to surgery but he did. The vet removed the bad gland and cleaned up the absess. How he made it through I will never understand. He was so anemic and had two different bad bacterias growing in him. He was on two different antibiotics. He had a high fever. He was so sick for those couple of weeks it's a miracle he pulled threw. Then his anemia got better and the antibiotics cleared the bacterias. He was doing better. He was going to make it. Then in the middle of December he had a malignant cell mast tumor removed along with a big wart on his neck. He pulled out of that surgery with flying colors. He was having some eating issues where he would rub his neck after he ate. I started rubbing his neck after he ate and it made him feel better. It was so cute he would just lay there and let me pet and rub him. That issue seemed to clear up too. We think now his eating issues were large lympnodes. Thank God he loved his soupys. I'm sure that is what kept him alive for so long. That's all he ate at this time. He never did go back on kibble. He never got skinny but was getting so huge he had a hard time getting around. I thought he was having prostate problems again. Off to the vets again. This time by the time we got to the vets he was just limp. The vet grab him and took him back and gave him insulin and predisone. His blood sugar was 47. Very low. If he had done this at home I don't think he would have pulled out of it. He also had marble sized lympnodes under his arm and neck. We where sure about him having insulinoma but weren't sure about the lymphoma. He went on predisone which I think helped. The blood test and biopsy came back inconclusive. Then last week he wasn't feeling to well so off to vets we went again. This time we knew he also had the lymphoma cancer. An x-ray showed his belly was full of very large lympnodes. His vet was going to check into another new treatment but by Thursday night he wasn't doing to good. I called the vet on Friday to have him put to sleep but his vet was out of town and the other vet only had done rodents and small animals. Plus he did the heart stick which I was dead set on. We gave him pain meds which really helped him. I made an appointment for Sunday hoping for a miracle. Sunday was a very special day for us. Opie turned seven years old that day. I gave him his last dose of pain meds at 2pm then we had a party with all his favorite foods. Candy, cake and bananas. He only wanted the banana and his Mommy's soup. On the way to the vets we stopped in at the park and I laid him in the grass and he just smelled it and dug his nose into the dirt. I think he enjoyed that. I told him that the rainbow bridge had lots of grass he could run and play in. He wouldn't suffer anymore. I really think he knew. He was very calm. I asked the vet if he had any miracles for me and he said no. With Opie being so big (5lbs 11 1/2oz) he got a vein very easy. I laid him on his blankey and the vet put the medicine in and Opie just relaxed and went into a deep sleep. I was so glad for him that his suffering was now over. The vet told me to take as much time as I needed. He had pooped so I cleaned him up. The last thing I wanted was for him to go to the bridge dirty. Besides they were having a birthday party for him there to and he had to be ready. He had fought so very, very hard. He had been through so much in such a short period of time and he was very tired. His body fought so hard against the three big ones but he was just so tired. We tried every thing to help him but we had nothing left to fight with anymore. All the options were gone. I am very thankful that I got to have him this last week-end. I got to give him all the love he deserved and I got to say goodbye. I feel at peace with him. It really was a beautiful ending to a great life. I miss him so very much. I'm lost without him. I never realized how much time I spent with him. He never wanted anything from me but to love him. And that I did. From him helping me get ready in the mornings to kissing him goodnight at bedtime. I was very lucky to have him for as long as I did. It is a very bitter/sweet time. I still hear him in his cage and by the door. I tell him to go play at the bridge that Mommy is okay. I know he is looking out for me. He loves me as much as I love him. He wasn't ready to go yet either but he had to. I'm sure he misses his Mommy too. But we will be together again and we'll run and play and he'll dook with happiness while I'm crying tears of joy. I just want to thank him for all he has given me. We had many many laughs and good times together. Everyone who knew him loved him and said what a good boy he was. I wish I could have kept him forever but I couldn't do that to him. He would have gotten so much worse before he went on his own. So for his birthday I gave him the best gift I could and he is now whole and young and full of life. I love you so much my beloved Opie. Rest in peace till we meet again. I miss you so very much.
Love forever and ever,
Your Mommy
P.S I am getting that piece of my heart back when I see you.
Opie's Story
2/7/2003 - 2/7/10
I had just lost my little girl Misty and I was very lonely, so I looked on Craigs list and there he was. $100 2 1/2 yr old ferret with cage. I drove the hour one way and when I saw him, he look so big compared to Misty's 1 1/2 lbs. He was almost 4 lbs. He was beautiful. The lady got him from her son who didn't have time for him anymore. So he went from Texas to California. Then the lady got a puppy and didn't have time for him anymore either. She was very happy to see him go home with me knowing he would be taken good care of and I thanked her very much for letting me have him. She let me have him for $50. I would have paid the $100. That was July 29, 2005.
Once we got home it felt like he belonged there. He settled right in. We had 3 1/2 wonderful and happy and healthy years. Then last January he had the hair loss and was very itchy. I felt bad for him because all he did was scratch. He'd go a few steps then stop to itch. Off to the vets we went. Adrenal disease. I am greatful I have a great vet. He does know ferrets and has other vets he asks question if he doesn't know. The vet and I talked about surgery but decided against it because he was already six years old and didn't want to put him through that so we went with the menantonin. I still wonder what would have happened if we did the surgery then. After about three days on the melantonin the itching stopped. And after about 3 weeks his hair came back. He grew the softest and silkiest coat. He was doing really great. Then in November he had peeing issues and off to the vets again. Within two days he was very sick. The adrenal tumor grew so large it was putting pressure on his prostate and it absessed. His little belly was full of infection. I didn't think he would make to surgery but he did. The vet removed the bad gland and cleaned up the absess. How he made it through I will never understand. He was so anemic and had two different bad bacterias growing in him. He was on two different antibiotics. He had a high fever. He was so sick for those couple of weeks it's a miracle he pulled threw. Then his anemia got better and the antibiotics cleared the bacterias. He was doing better. He was going to make it. Then in the middle of December he had a malignant cell mast tumor removed along with a big wart on his neck. He pulled out of that surgery with flying colors. He was having some eating issues where he would rub his neck after he ate. I started rubbing his neck after he ate and it made him feel better. It was so cute he would just lay there and let me pet and rub him. That issue seemed to clear up too. We think now his eating issues were large lympnodes. Thank God he loved his soupys. I'm sure that is what kept him alive for so long. That's all he ate at this time. He never did go back on kibble. He never got skinny but was getting so huge he had a hard time getting around. I thought he was having prostate problems again. Off to the vets again. This time by the time we got to the vets he was just limp. The vet grab him and took him back and gave him insulin and predisone. His blood sugar was 47. Very low. If he had done this at home I don't think he would have pulled out of it. He also had marble sized lympnodes under his arm and neck. We where sure about him having insulinoma but weren't sure about the lymphoma. He went on predisone which I think helped. The blood test and biopsy came back inconclusive. Then last week he wasn't feeling to well so off to vets we went again. This time we knew he also had the lymphoma cancer. An x-ray showed his belly was full of very large lympnodes. His vet was going to check into another new treatment but by Thursday night he wasn't doing to good. I called the vet on Friday to have him put to sleep but his vet was out of town and the other vet only had done rodents and small animals. Plus he did the heart stick which I was dead set on. We gave him pain meds which really helped him. I made an appointment for Sunday hoping for a miracle. Sunday was a very special day for us. Opie turned seven years old that day. I gave him his last dose of pain meds at 2pm then we had a party with all his favorite foods. Candy, cake and bananas. He only wanted the banana and his Mommy's soup. On the way to the vets we stopped in at the park and I laid him in the grass and he just smelled it and dug his nose into the dirt. I think he enjoyed that. I told him that the rainbow bridge had lots of grass he could run and play in. He wouldn't suffer anymore. I really think he knew. He was very calm. I asked the vet if he had any miracles for me and he said no. With Opie being so big (5lbs 11 1/2oz) he got a vein very easy. I laid him on his blankey and the vet put the medicine in and Opie just relaxed and went into a deep sleep. I was so glad for him that his suffering was now over. The vet told me to take as much time as I needed. He had pooped so I cleaned him up. The last thing I wanted was for him to go to the bridge dirty. Besides they were having a birthday party for him there to and he had to be ready. He had fought so very, very hard. He had been through so much in such a short period of time and he was very tired. His body fought so hard against the three big ones but he was just so tired. We tried every thing to help him but we had nothing left to fight with anymore. All the options were gone. I am very thankful that I got to have him this last week-end. I got to give him all the love he deserved and I got to say goodbye. I feel at peace with him. It really was a beautiful ending to a great life. I miss him so very much. I'm lost without him. I never realized how much time I spent with him. He never wanted anything from me but to love him. And that I did. From him helping me get ready in the mornings to kissing him goodnight at bedtime. I was very lucky to have him for as long as I did. It is a very bitter/sweet time. I still hear him in his cage and by the door. I tell him to go play at the bridge that Mommy is okay. I know he is looking out for me. He loves me as much as I love him. He wasn't ready to go yet either but he had to. I'm sure he misses his Mommy too. But we will be together again and we'll run and play and he'll dook with happiness while I'm crying tears of joy. I just want to thank him for all he has given me. We had many many laughs and good times together. Everyone who knew him loved him and said what a good boy he was. I wish I could have kept him forever but I couldn't do that to him. He would have gotten so much worse before he went on his own. So for his birthday I gave him the best gift I could and he is now whole and young and full of life. I love you so much my beloved Opie. Rest in peace till we meet again. I miss you so very much.
Love forever and ever,
Your Mommy
P.S I am getting that piece of my heart back when I see you.
My thoughts are with you.