Free sick fuzz in Pitt

[tiedyed69peace]

pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pet/693892774.html

Now, don't get me wrong, but I thought when a ferret has adrenal, it requires regular veterinary care...?

[meli]

Ya they do, but I think she's sugar coating it so someone will take her. Sad because she's 6 years old. Poor thing is probably stressed.

[tiedyed69peace]

I never heard of a ferret with cataracts before either.

[kawaii desu]

I saw this. I'm in Pittsburgh and wish that I could take her, but I don't have the funds to take care of a fert with adrenal. I wish I could though. Poor little girl.

[tiedyed69peace]

Maybe you can take her to a ferret rescue if she's still available? Just a thought... I don't want to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do.
If you were to do that though, make sure someone is willing to accept her... I look ahead of time once, and was glad, because some shelters just close and the listing still remains online.
Pitt is too far for me to travel I feel so bad for her.

[kawaii desu]

The only shelter here is Hide-E-Hole in Mount Oliver, and I don't have a car so I cannot go that far. I feel so bad.

I suppose I could e-mail the person with the name and phone number of Hide-E-Hole.

[tiedyed69peace]

Dont feel bad. We can't help them all. Maybe emailing them with a contact for Hide-E-Hole might help We can only do so much.

[mlove]

Oh, how sad.

[tiedyed69peace]

It is sad. I hope someone knowledged takes her.

[Angie]

May 27, 2008 14:21:00 GMT -5 tiedyed69peace said:

I never heard of a ferret with cataracts before either.

Cataracts are common in older ferrets. They can also be caused by trauma in younger ferrets. Our first adopted ferret Moonpie came to our family blind in one eye from a trauma related cataract in one eye. Our Pooh Bear is nearly blind in both eyes from cataracts.

Angie

[tiedyed69peace]

Is there anything you are supposed to do for them, or do you leave them go?

[Angie]

If caught early enough and from trauma there are drops to clear up the underlying "infection" and to help heal. The ferret will loose some vision, but not all.

If in older ferrets need to know the cause to determine if there is anythign to be done. Some causes include insulinoma "crash", prolonged steroid use, trauma, old age, etc. Depending on the cause there may or may not be something that can be done.

In Moonpies case he came to us with the injury already happening many months ago. The vet didn't feel drops would help him. So we just loved on him every day. He did very well with only one sighted eye. Around the time he turned 6 he developed them due to age in other eye. He was on pred at the time which may have contributed. Again the vet didn't feel there was anything to be done. The change in vision was slow and he did very well!!!

Pooh Bear is also on pred due to the multiple myeloma. Again this most likely contributed to the development of the cataracts. However it is saving her life and between it and the melaphalan she has lived longer and had good days much longer than Dr. Gold ever thought possible! Again the change was gradual. Initially we did lower her pred dose and it slowed the development of the cataracts, but they did eventually affect both eyes. She still does remarkably well! And she is still the reigning Queen of the group!!!

Ferrets have very poor eyesight in general and when that is limited even more they use their other stronger senses of smell and touch very effectivly!!! In pooh's case she will also use taste if a new person comes. She won't bite, but she often licks and kisses until she knows the person. LOL

Angie

[tiedyed69peace]

I figured that. I have a deafie, so I know that ferrets will compensate for missing senses. She probably gets along as if she's no different than the others, huh? And she's so cute!