Bug is one of the two ferrets who we believe brought the ECE virus into our rescue in May. She lost her cagemate, but her Casper was the only casualty. However, as one of the most ill, Bug went through three weeks of force-feedings every two hours, lots of antibiotics, Pedialyte, soup, and all the cuddles she could stand. Bug even got a vaginal infection from wiping her rear on the litter so much in order to get rid of the clingy, smelly, green ECE diarrhea. On top of that, Bug is adrenal.
It is months later now. We didn’t lose Bug to the grief related to Casper’s passing, and that’s a miracle, since her body was so tired of fighting at the time. Bug has gone from a flea-ridden bag of bones to a plush little angel. She won’t put up with a syringe near her though, and it takes more to get that ferret’s mouth open than all the other’s combined! Bad memories of force-feeding? When a cage door was improperly shut by a family member one day, Bug came to find the shelter mom and nuzzled her foot, as if to say, “Mom, am I supposed to be out?” Bug is at home, even if this 6.5-year-old is calling a shelter her home. Her ideal cuddle position is to wrap herself around a human’s arm, straddling it with her back legs around the forearm and her front legs around the hand. Bug can stick like Velcro at these times, and she is so cute at it! The antibiotics damaged Bug’s kidneys, causing her to not filter excess calcium from her blood. The antibiotics and ECE disease process also depleted her vitamin level. High calcium + low vitamin D = brittle bones. Senior ferret + brittle bones = ankle fracture in July. Bug just can’t have an uneventful month. However, her ankle has healed with good range of motion. Bug has stolen some favorite beds from the other ferrets, and she won’t return them. Perhaps her Santa can help? The Marshall Alligator and Turtle are her favorite possessions, with the alligator seeing the most sleep time, and the turtle feeling the brunt of her sharp little teeth. Bug is not big on sharing. These beds need replacing, since they’ve been rather “well-loved”. Bug is also on a regiment of Marshall Furo-Tone to get her vitamin D back up, and she loves Nutri-Cal on occasion. Bug’s favorite treats are the Wal-Mart brand of ferret kibble and Meow Mix. Yes, bad habits, but blame the former owners for that. At least they are “treats” now and not “food”. As much as Bug doesn’t want to, she does need to go back to the vet to have her calcium checked. Bug will make a great ferret to show off to the public, when Ferrets at Heart is out of the ECE quarantine period. All staff, volunteers, and shelter ferrets are not to come near uninfected ferrets, owners of said ferrets, or pet stores until the end of this year. Although symptoms of ECE are not currently present, the virus may still be shed in their waste, and so a quarantine period of at least six months is advisable. We also make special preparations with vets for our appointments. No ferret should have to suffer through this disease, and no ferret lover should have to face the loss of a beloved companion to ECE. The quarantine also means no local fundraising or shipping raffle items from the rescue. To mail a package to your 2012 Ferret Giving Tree ferret from Ferrets at Heart, address the box to: Lori Richardson 53 Green Vale Lane Franklin, NC 28734 PayPal donations can be sent to the Ferrets at Heart account at askaferret@ferretsatheart.com. Checks should be made out to Dan Cabe, the acting treasurer, who has taken the post in light of his wife’s passing (the shelter mom’s mother). Joyce Cabe is missed more than words can say. |
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Bug has a Santa. |