Where Does It End?

Question
Jacquie, I have had ferrets for years and helped at ferret shelters and have seen first hand how trying to keep a sick ferret alive breaks your heart. I need your opinion. I have a ferret, katie, who I adopted about 3 years ago from a shelter when she was about 3-4 years old. She has had 2 adrenal surgeries since i have had her and had 9 large insulanomas removed. They may have not got all adrenal and now she is sick. She is now on diazoxide and prednisone daily and was hospitalized for two days for a insulanoma seizure. She now has irritable bowell disease and is very lethargic and on 3 more meds, so on 5 meds altogether twice daily.And barely eating unless i syringe feed her. My question is, if she is no better in two weeks after her round of antibiotics, and they want to do surgery for the inflammation issue, or the shots monthly which is expensive as well, my bank account is drained almost, she is sick, what should i do? When i let her out to play, She just hides and sleeps. I feel horrible. But she is not getting better. When is the end? please help me, amy

Answer
Hi Amy:

This is going to be a really hard question for me to answer.  I just went through almost this exact thing with my precious ferret, Kylie, a little over a month ago. She had IBD for years and I had hand fed her; now suddenly she was having some heart problems. Of course I had to get the test to confirm what was wrong with her...an xray....then an ultrasound to see how bad it was, some heart meds to see if they helped...and in the end her little lips were blue as she gasped for air. I wondered what the heck I had been thinking!  This was no way for her to live!

Amy, it took about two weeks of suffering for Kylie - and it cost me $2,500....and in the end I decided that she had suffered enough and had the vet help her to the Rainbow Bridge.  It's such a hard decision to make!  And it hurts SO VERY BAD!  But the TRUTH is that ferrets live to be about six to seven years old and no matter how much money we spend on them - they still only live six to seven years old. We can drag out their end days with all kinds of medicine today; hand feedings every couple hours all night long....I've done all that - even though I swore I would never do it again.

My recommendation is that you should talk very very frankly with your vet. Let the vet know YOU know the ferret really has about lived out her normal, natural lifespan. Let the vet know you can't afford to go to great expense only to let your ferret suffer longer.  I think it is always worth a round of medication just to see if it helps - but further than that?  At her age, Amy, I have to say that I wouldn't do it again.  I loved Kylie as much as any mother loves her child....but I wouldn't put her through that last month again for anything. Afterwards - after I came home when I had her put to sleep - I was just pounding my forehead and asking myself "WHY????"  "WHY DID I ALLOW HER TO SUFFER THESE PAST FEW WEEKS???"   I *KNOW* ferrets live to be 6 to 7 years old....and from now on, after a ferret reaches age 6 (for me anyway), if it's anything more than a round of antibiotics or something simple, I just will not put them through it. No matter how strong their will to live, it is just too sad to watch them suffer; it's expensive (even tho that isn't what I was worried about at the time) and it's just not fair to put them thru it.

I do feel VERY STRONGLY about staying with my ferrets when they get the 'shot' in their little butt that knocks them out. So far, none of my ferrets have required more than an overdose of anesthetic medication - a shot in their butt while I was holding them and they gently fall asleep in my arms as I comfort them.  I have had ferrets die at home and it certainly wasn't as gentle a death as the ones where the vet gives them 'the shot'. Do be sure to talk to your vet beforehand and make sure they agree to just give her a high overdose of an anesthetic medication (mixture of meds). Some vets still do the "heart stick" - a shot directly thru the breastbone and into the heart....no way would I EVER allow them to do that to one of my kids.  So, this is something we MUST talk openly to our vets about - ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS about what to expect and be sure you are comfortable staying with your ferret as she falls into that eternal sleep in your arms. That is probably the best gift you could give her at this point - the sooner the better is what I feel from what you write.  TRUST your gut feelings and instincts - YOU know your ferret. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY - you have obviously been a really good mommy for many years.

Here's a website where you can write a memorial to your ferret - whenever YOU decide the time is right for her.

       http://www.petloss.com

They have an online candle lighting service and chat on Monday nights and they honor all pets who have died the previous week (submit the name by Sunday before) and I found that to be a great comfort.   One thing my vet did that was SO cool - she took little footprints of her front feet in clay for me  :-) and I treasure that so very much.

This is something only you can decide. You know your ferret and you know your financial situation. I've never weighed the financial part when it comes to the end...but I'm still really sorry that I did put Kylie through those last few weeks. It was selfish for me to expect her to get well when she was very old and very sick for a very long time. Sometimes it is just time to let go with love.  I will be here if you need someone to talk to.....

"When The Time Comes"
-------------------

"Lord, when the time comes please help me be strong
my furry friend is sick; something's terribly wrong
The vet checked her over; there's nothing he can do
I'm afraid soon I'll be sending her; home to You

Please take her back home; on the wings of a dove
into Your loving arms; up in heaven above
Take her to a meadow; where she can play and run free
under bright sunlight; among the green grass and trees

She's been a part of my life now; for so many years
I'll miss her so much; my eyes are filling with tears
Please give me the courage; to tell her good-bye
as I know she'll watch over me; through her loving eyes

I'll never forget her; I'll see her one day
tell her we'll meet at the Bridge; then we'll go play
I'll cherish the memories; of the time we both had
they'll put a smile on my face; then I won't feel as bad


by John Quealy"

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Amy, and your sweet little ferret at this very very difficult time.

((((((hugs))))))

Jacquie Rodgers