On pet death.

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Recently my ferret, Waffle, had to spend almost a week in and out of vet's offices. He wasn't eating or drinking anything, and because he's just about 2 pounds, it affected him faster than it might affect a larger animal or human. He scared the crap out of me, freaking out and spitting up anything I gave him. I had convinced myself that he was going to die but of course took him to the vet anyway.

After that week of vet visits, several stays overnight, hours spent in the waiting room and a switch to a new vet, we think we know what's wrong and it's simple to fix. Stomach surgery for my poor little, tiny boy. I felt better knowing it was going to be fixed and all would be well. But they get in and find it's not what they thought.. they take a biopsy and send it off to a lab while he heals. He comes home to me looking depressed, underweight, and half naked - they had to shave the fur off his belly and both arms.

Well we know the problem now, but it will be a lifelong battle to keep it under control. He will need meds every other day, if not every day. He also has another disease that will need constant care. He's already old for his breed of ferret, which is inbred and sometimes fragile.

He has not died, but I am so scared he will. I've dealt with very little death in my life. While I know that having more death around me would not make it easier, it would help me know how to handle it, at least. How to deal with the sharp pain of never seeing that person or animal again. I lost a few pets when I was younger, but they were never really mine.. I didn't care about them much and was in my own world at the time.

I recently did lose my cat, Chessie. She gave me a good 15 or 16 years. I got her when she was a tiny baby and I was in elementary school. She was always a constant for me, no matter how many times I moved, my kitty was there to sit in my lap and demand to be pet. But she succumbed to an unknown problem in her ovaries because she was never fixed. I was with her on the day we had her put down and I have her ashes in my room. That was months ago but I still cry when I think of how I'll never see her again.

I'm not really sure I'm equipped to handle this. I think of my ferret dying and I feel like I can't go on without him. I've only had him a year and a half but he's the most important thing in my life, along with my boyfriend. But they are connected, my boyfriend and I consider Waffle to be our only child. He would be upset, too, but he knows it's inevitable and can handle it. I'm afraid if I ever lose him I really will get suicidal and carry it out.

My logical side tells me that it will happen and I will need to deal with it. My emotional side tells me I can never lose him, I can't live without him and he needs to be immortal.

I know this is long and honestly I don't care if it's never read, I needed to get it out without having someone tell me I will have to deal with it. I know I will, I'm too logical to ignore that fact. I just don't know if I'll be able to.

I feel terrible for you, I know how close the bond with a pet can be. And ferrets are awfully cute, aren't they? I've never owned one but my impression is that they are very affectionate and have vibrant personalities.
I really hope yours survives, but as you realize, none of us are immortal. Try to find a pet bereavement support group, either live or online, just to know the resource is available.
As someone who was privileged to know the Best Cat of All Time, I share your pain. Good luck, and dont let the speciesists get to you.

I am sorry to hear about your sick ferret, Waffle is such a cute weasel. I lost my ferret Beany last month, she had lymphoma and had a tumor in her tummy, we took her home since there is nothing they can do, and we spoiled her for 2 months before her time came. Our other ferret Bevis has an adrenal tumor, which we are treating with Lupron which keeps the it under control, he had lost his fur on his bum, so now he is looking and feeling way better.

Thanks, guys. My boyfriend thinks it's a little silly to feel like this.. though of course he will comfort me no matter what, he just wishes I could handle such things better.

Legend: they are the sweetest little things. Like a cat but even more playful, and curious, and crazy. Just seeing him hop out of bed to come to the side of his cage and greet me makes me smile. He even gives me kisses!

And spudnik, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.. I know how fast they can go. But she had fun with you, and will be waiting for you to come play with her again, if you believe in that sort of thing. It seems across the board, people with pets believe that they go to the Rainbow Bridge and have an afterlife. I'm inclined to believe the same, despite not being religious at all, but partially because it helps ease the pain just a little.

Thank you, phagocyte, it's really good to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Here's a picture of my baby boy:



I'm going to go play with him and try to stop being so worried about him.

^ Aww, he's so cute. It's sad to think of him being sick.

I've had to have animals put down and it is a terrible feeling.

I am so sorry to hear this, we actually lost our dog this week to pancreatitis. And tomorrow he would have been 8. He was a miniature schnauzer and had one illness after another. There wasn't anything that could have saved him this time... I am sorry once again

I just had a huge meltdown because I couldn't get him to take his medicine. I think I scared the poor boy too. Thank you, everyone.. I think I'm just realizing that I just plain cannot handle this on my own. Taking care of him, giving him medicine, dealing with how pathetic and sickly he looks.. I feel awful that I'm letting him down but I just can't do this. I don't know what to do about it, either, no one can help me.

there's ways of getting to take there medicine, I have crushed pills and put it in some jam or peanut butter, mine preferred jam.

You're not supposed to let them have any fruits or veggies, their bodies can't digest them. I've been using Ferretone and Ferretvite but he just didn't want this one(prednisone) and he spit it up like he was when he first got sick.. I freaked out really badly and eventually calmed down and got it into him, but it's still just so amazingly overwhelming. I'm not a parent for a good reason. I would do anything for this little guy I'm just not sure I can do this on my own.

I would never give alot, just enough to get hid the the taste, prednisone taste bad, ferretvite works on some pills but it doesn't hide the taste very well.

Yeah, I ended up hiding it in his AD - which is this fancy prescription diet wet food that he loves. I'll be doing the same again tonight and hopefully it'll work with no spitting.

we have been giving out ferrets dehydrated chicken breast, for treats, they love the stuff, we also use Heinz chicken in broth when they are ill, its basically the same as duck soup, it help them gain some weight back

Yeah, once I run out of the AD(freakin' $10 for a small can, and I mean like, cat food can size) I will be figuring out a good duck soup recipe. But I've heard that ferrets with the problem he has, Eosinophilic Enteritis, shouldn't have as much chicken.. I'm not really sure if this is the case, but I'll be seeing his vet on Monday and we'll find out, and I'll figure out some duck soup for him.

I'm calmer about the whole situation but I'm still so worried about him. My sister had to give him his meds tonight, as I was gone, and apparently he gave her almost as much of a problem.. though ferretvite seemed to do the trick.

nekowafer - I am sad for you and do not discount your grief at all. For me, animals for special and I have an attachment. Waffle is a dolly and his photo is adorable! Quite plainly you love him and vice versa.

When I moved from Anchorage to Fairbanks I had my Russian Wolf Hound with me. The next morning he died. I collapsed in the vet's office from nervous shock/meltdown. I don't have any advice for you, but I know how you feel. I will share what that vet said to me, I'll always remember: He said to take care of myself. He made me lay down in the office and rest, then told me to not unpack (!) but just lay down and sleep for that day at least. He also said if I felt worse or scared to please go the hospital ER, nearby my apartment. He meant it too.

Send Waffle a virtual get-well card from the Lab Pet and a virtual bouquet of Alaskan wildflowers for you. My cat, Tesla, sends his love too.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... &p=1707742

Check out the Wrong Planet link above, might make you feel more calm. Hold Waffle tight

About smaller animals: I do know to aid digestion and ease their nausea/discomfort you can gently rub downward on their belly, from their chest down. This could calm him so he's better able to take his medicine. Suppresses the spitting/regurgitating reflex, apparently.