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Post by Jaycee on Jul 29, 2008 14:28:19 GMT -5
How is De doing?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 29, 2008 15:33:05 GMT -5
Not to well Im afraid She IS eating, drinking, pooping, peeing.....but she wont do ANYTHING else. She sits all day with her eyes open staring into space (then she sleeps the rest of the time). She doesnt move except to get up to eat or relieve herself. She wants NOTHING to do with Mizu or Fugue. She's not a cuddly ferret but she doesnt want me to put her down. I wrap her up in the towel that they brought Sams out in and I carry the little bundle around (with her tucked inside). I can tell she has a broken heart, and it breaks MY heart I sit with a washcloth and I get the end wet with warm water. then I rub it on her face (like Im grooming her). I syringe feed her a little warm egg and heavy cream, and I put her up against my bare skin. Im just trying to get her to cheer up, but no such luck Im afriad.
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Post by kaznalf on Jul 29, 2008 15:33:46 GMT -5
I have only just seen this thread i am so so sorry for your loss. Thinking of you xx
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Post by jojodancer on Jul 31, 2008 8:44:57 GMT -5
I know you said you wished you could have been there when they put Sams to sleep, we felt the same way. Casey was PTS by an emergency vet in the same way - taken to a back room after we said good bye to him. We asked the emergency vet if we could be with him, but she said it is better to let them do it since it is pretty distressing to the owners.
Talking to my vet about this, he agreed. He said the most painless way was the combination of anesthesia and heart prick which is done away from the owner since it is distressing to see the vet jab a needle into the heart of your beloved pet. However, if the owner is adamant, he will do another procedure involving gas and other methods. He doesn't really like this procedure since it draws it out and feels it is harder on the owner as well as the pet.
DH and I talked about this for months and still haven't reached a conclusion which is better or if we did the right thing. And we probably never will since this isn't a black/white issue. Currently we feel we did the right thing. Casey is no longer in pain. His last days he was unable to get up and go potty by himself or dance or walk more than 2-3 steps. It was time. We chose to do it together as a family, as opposed to him being alone and dying while we were at work. It was what was best for him, if not for us. That's why it was the right decision.
Our emergency vet is about 45 minutes from us. Luckily that can do surgery. It was something I hadn't thought of before and may make a point of mentioning it at the next GCFA meeting. Eventually my vet will have emergency hours, but it always seems as though our ferrets have emeregencies when he is unavailable (fishing in Canada, moving his office)
And although I agree that the emergency vets in your area were heartless during your crisis, I have a feeling that they've seen and heard it all from other pet owners and have had to put up the walls to defend themselves. Don't forget we live in one crazy litigious society. I'm sure they were looking at it in that regard, we had a 6 year old ferret who was very weak and has a 50/50 chance of making it through surgery. I don't know the owner, have never seen her before and don't know if she is a good person. I'm sure they've been sued by people whose pets have died or not come out of surgery a healthy ferret. How many of those refuse to pay the bill because the vet didn't fix their pet?
I wonder if it is better to NOT go to one vet for all your needs. If instead it is better to go to multiple vets so that you have a history at each one and therefore they may be more willing to work with you in the future in case of crisis. For example, if you had a history with Saturdays vet, she may have been willing to vouch for your credentials when speaking to the vets with surgical capabilities. In this case it was, "no, this is the first tie I've seen her. She seems nice". as opposed to "I've known Giuli for 4 years, she may not pay in full at the time of service, but she always has it paid off within 3 months. I'll vouch for her"
Does that make sense?
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Post by hales on Jul 31, 2008 11:59:04 GMT -5
Oh wow. I just found this thread, and had no idea what had been going on. I'm so sorry, Giuli. I think the best thing right now is to just spend time with your other fuzzies and keep them moving... I've never been through anything like this, and I can't even imagine how it feels....but we all have to experience it some day. I want you to know that you're handling this situation very well, and I know everything will be fine. Hang in there, k? You have a ton of people on here that are willing to help you WHENEVER you need help. Keep us updated on the situation. I'll keep you in my thoughts.
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Post by moddedmama on Jul 31, 2008 23:21:06 GMT -5
Wow Giuli, it's been a tough week for you. I am so sorry to hear about Sams. You are in my thoughts and prayers, and De as well. Keep spending lots of time with her, she is probably grieving as you are.
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ferretmaster
Going Natural
Ferretopia Ferret Forum[/color]
Ferret Slave
Posts: 120
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Post by ferretmaster on Aug 1, 2008 20:41:30 GMT -5
Giuliana i am so sorry for your loss it is never easy losing a ferret they always seem to take a piece of your heart when they go. Dook on sweet Sam may your star shine bright.
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Post by meli on Aug 5, 2008 1:15:16 GMT -5
oh no!!! I've been gone to long! I am so sorry about your loss giuli!!! I really wish I could give you a huge hug!!! lil' sam
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 2, 2008 23:33:21 GMT -5
Well I picked up Sams ashes today. That's right, its been over a month and I finally got them. I just couldnt bring myself to go get them. I know its stupid but I felt like if I got the ashes it would just drive home the fact that he really was gone. I picked him up today and I lost it in the vet's office as I carried the little box with his ashes in it out the door.
I still don't have it in me to write a little euleogy for him, but one day I will, here in this section.
I plan to cremate De when she pases on and mix her ashes with Sams. Then I will sprinkle their ashes in the Colorado rockies (I am moving to Colorado next fall). I always wanted to bring them with me to Colorado, and even though they both will (probably) be passed on by then, atleast their bodily remains will forever lay in the mountains.
De is doing OK but shes certainly not the same since Sams passed on. She just doesnt DO anything anymore. She eats/sleeps/pees/poops. THATS it. Not even going outside (which used to be here FAVORITE thing) can cause her to move (she just lays there).
Her adrneal disease seems to be getting the better of her. The Lurpon stopped working and so we put her on a Superlorin implant. So far nothing. I hope the implant works, but the vet says she might be to far advanced in her adrenal for us to see results. She will be 9 this January.
Its still hard going on without Sams. I guess because his death was so unexpected. When De passes on I will be sad, but I've had plenty of time to prepare for it. She'll be 9-10 years old when she will most likely pass on. Thats a good long life for a ferret. She may have spent 7 years with neglecful owners, but I will have had her for 3 of those years and loved her and cared for her the best I could.
I feel like Sams got cheated. His old owners let him down when they dumped him and De at a shelter at the age of 5 (De was 7). Then that shelter let him down when they left him in his cage, covered in urine and feces, and sleeping in a urine soaked, fur covered hammy. Then I feel like the vet hospital let him down when they wouldnt work with me on a payment plan to save this guy. Let down after let down. It really makes me made. I feel like I too let him down. That I coudlnt do more for him. He was just starting to eat raw, he was finally living a good life. He wasnt supposed to leave that vet clinic in a box. He was supposed to leave in my arms!
The feeling that Sams left an "unfinished life" will always haunt me. 6 IS old(er) for a ferret, but he was really doing great for his age. I just wish I could have seen what would have happened had he stayed alive, stayed on raw, and continued his daily excursions out doors. But I will never see that because he was ripped away from me too soon. Too soon.
The loss of Sams has only furthered my resolve to get into vet school and make a difference in the lives of pets. One day I WILL have my own practice and one day I WILL have a way for people to finance their pets medical procedures so that NO pet in my clinic will ever have to die because the owner can't pull $2,500 out of their put up front for the procedure.
*Sigh* I guess this just hit me really hard. The pain is still there, but slowly fading. But the anger still remains....
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Post by meli on Sept 3, 2008 16:47:06 GMT -5
death doesn't always seem fair when it comes to someone we love and care for..sams died for a reason..think of it as him preparing heaven for de's arrival because you know he's waiting for his buddy. He's smiling at you giuli..giggling because he's happy and wants you to be happy to..remember him for the fun times you had with him and the kisses he would give you..don't place blame because all its going to do is keep opening your wound never allowing you to heal.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 3, 2008 22:36:17 GMT -5
Thank you Meli. I'm feeling better today. I ust had a really hard time because yesterday I had to pick up his ashes. Its still rough day to day, but today is better.
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Post by bigsis7 on Sept 10, 2008 20:38:25 GMT -5
Oh Giuli....I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this. Just think of it as you gave him the best life he would have ever had!! He loved you dearly for that and he waits for De and you at the rainbow bridge. I have only ever lost one pet. She was a 4 week old rat and I only had her 5 days and I was a wreck! I can't imagine years and then having a pet die. You and De are in my thoughts.
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