Didn't know you'd switched one BACK to kibble.Sams has been eating raw for the last two months. I only offered him kibble because he hadnt eaten in 1.5 days and I was desperate for him to eat ANYTHING
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Today was a horrible day for me. I rushed to the vet to make it in time for our 2pm appointment. I got there early and sped the whole 30minute drive there. Sams seemed limp and in distress when I was driving in, I was very concearned.
I brought along Delilah for moral support. We got to the vet and they took an immediate x-ray. Then they handed me back Sams and we waited in the waiting room. They called me into the small room and showed me the x-ray. "Do you know what THIS is?" the vet asked. She pointed to a strange square item lodged in sams bowels! A blockage! I honestly had no clue what it was, it wasnt bone, it wasnt litter, what the heck could it have been? I was even more shocked that Sams HAD a blockage (he NEVER chews on anything. He is a good boy and always uses the potty. Never gets in to trouble). How he got a blockage is honestly beyond me.
The vet advised emergency surgery (I told them do whatever you have to do to save my baby!) Then came the bad news. While THIS vet clinic DID take my "care credit card" and they did in fact see ferrets, they werent equipt to handle ferret surgeries, they would have to transfer me to another vet hopsital.
The vet got on the phone and called all the emergency vets that were open and was not able to find any available ferret vets that could do the surgery. She even contacted MY vet but he was out of town (dealing with a family crisis) and was completely unavailable. The only vet that could help was about 15 minutes away. A dog/cat vet that has NO experience with ferret surgery. She would do the surgery for $1,500!!!! The prognosis? Extremely guarded. Sams was so skinny and weak (and being 6 years old all the vets involved were concearned that they would open him up and he might not wake up. I asked if this dog/cat vet would take a down payment and then we could work out a payment plan. The answer....No (of course) Well do they take care credit? No (of course). And this vet has NEVER done surgery on a ferret? No.
I asked what my other options were. Would more pumpkin help Sams out? (answer was no, if it hadnt worked not they said it would work at all. He had pumpkin at 5am and by 2pm it still hadnt come out the other end).
Well what the hell am I supposed to do? I asked my vet. She said that if I wanted they could hold sams until Monday and then transfer him to my usual vet hospital.....if he lived that long.
Sams was bleary eyed and in serious pain, and I was frantic. My vet gave me some time alone to think things over. In the mean time she called my usual ferret vet back. she asked what he thought she should do. When this vet returned she told me that with Sam's current state (extremely low weight....low blood glucose.....weak/distressed state) that she really didnt think he'd make it through surgery (especially in the hands of a non-ferret vet).
I had no way to pay for that surgery anyway, so she told me my only other option............Euthenasia
As I sat in that tiny room with Sams in my arms I felt like someone ripped my heart out. Euthenaisa was my only option? It certainly seemed so. This vet said that even if I COULD come up with the $1,500 for surgery "its not like we could say give them $1,500 and they'll give you back a healthy ferret. I doubt he'd come through ok. Then you would have a ferret that has passed on AND a $1,500 bill. $1,500 that you could be spending on medical bills for your cat or other ferrets" I told her it didnt matter anyway since I couldnt pay for that surgery if they wouldnt take a payment plan)
I had to put my squeezy bear to sleep.
As I signed the euthenasia consent form I could barely speak. You know that feeling where you feel out of breath and you are crying and you cant even formulate a sentence? That was how I felt. Then they brought out a book and asked me if I wanted to cremate him and if so what urn did I want. It make me sick to be looking at urns as a bleary eyed, fading sams sat in my lap. I couldnt pick and urn I just asked for the basic box.
They took Sams in the other room to put him to sleep and then they brought him back to me. I sat with him and held him for a while, crying. I then put him with Delilah and let her sit with him. Hoping that she'd realize he'd passed.
I couldnt even make the drive home. I called amyandfuzzies7 and she talked to me and helped to calm me down. I called Tim (b/f) and he came to pick me up.
The shock is slowly wearing off....now Im in the "disbelief/bartering" state. Thinking "did I do the right thing?" "What if ____. What if ______" I cant believe he is gone!
I have never lost a ferret before, this all happened so fast! My squeezy bear is gone! and I feel so broken!
I am upset, so very upset. Even if I would have had the money for the surgery
a.) There was no FERRET vet to do it
b.) The prognosis was "extremely guarded"
I am in knots over this. De is 8 years old and she is adrenal. Her and Sams have been cage mates for like 5 years! Im terribly worried that she will go down hill. She is very mopy right now. She is eating and drinking but she is just moping about. I am going in to my regular ferret vet on Monday to pick up some "carnivore care" My vet wants me to keep it onhand incase De takes a sudden "turn for the worse" he also wants to see me to make sure Im doing okay.
This was just such a horrible situation! I am angry that there arent more ferret vets out there! Why WHY couldnt I find a "surgically equipped" ferret vet in my time of need?
In honor of Sams I would like everyone to PLEASE revaluate your ferret proofing. From now on Tim and I will be vacuuming the ferret play area before we let the ferrets out. I highly recommend others do the same. You never know what little things can fall on the carpet and get into your ferret.
I really urge everyone to also familiarize themselves with the signs of an intestinal blockage. Take some time to speak with your regular ferret vet. Ask them how much emergency blockage surgery costs and be sure you have that cash saved up (or atleast be able to charge it on a credit card). Have a back up ferret vet and make sure you get ALL of your vet's personal numbers (if they will give you them) so you can contact them immediately in an emergency.
I really am a huge ball of emotions right now. I am so confused and upset. I might not be on the next few days. I need some time to moniter Delilah and grieve over what has happened. Thank you to everyone who checked up on me.