A Really Bad Night for Stimpy

This may be a little bit graphic, so if you don't have ferrets and aren't concerned about their health issues, it may not be the best blog post to read. Don't worry, I'm not including pictures.

My ferret is getting worse, a lot worse. At the moment, Stimpy is back to normal, eating drinking, etc. Last night was a bloody nightmare, quite literally. He was having some nausea issues that started to resolve once he 'used the facilities', but his stool was very dark, which usually indicates blood in the fecal matter, and he bled a bit afterward. Again, I was certain it was time to let him go, but then he was eating and drinking happily, and then sleeping normally again.

He's eaten at least twice in the last few hours, on his own. Before that I softened some of his kibble in water, starting him out by giving him the water from the dish that had a bit of food flavouring to it. I have a few syringes lying around for this purpose (without the needles, I mean), and for giving meds.

It's so confusing to have him doing so well for a few days, and terrible for one. Usually it's just nausea, but even that is terrible to watch. The bleeding is a whole other level. I palpated his abdomen, and he's not bleeding internally. If he was, there would be distension (hard swelling). His kidneys haven't gotten any bigger either.

If you have a ferret, you tend to look at their poop a lot. It's one of the first indicators of health problems. I know blood in the stool is not a good sign and requires medical attention, but he's been to the vet already. We know what the problem is. Lymphoma, or lymphosarcoma, probably, but some form of cancer anyway, which is causing secondary concerns, including ulcers. We know he's going to die. We're just waiting for him to tell us he's ready to go. I wish I could say it was hemorrhoids or something, but I know it's not.

He's had a bit of blood in his stool prior to this, but it 'cleared up' for long periods in between. I'm hoping that's the case this time. His nausea is usually followed by a poop of that sort, so the possibly is good an ulcer involved. In the case of ferrets with cancer, though, this isn't a bacterial ulcer like it usually is in humans, that can be treated with antibiotics. This type of ulcer most likely comes from the impairment of other organs, such as the kidneys. According to the information available on PetMD, it indicates a poor prognosis. Not a big surprise.

It all comes back to the same decision. If he's ready to go, he'll go. When he's in a lot of pain he grinds his teeth, so that will be a sure sign for me. He did that when he had a blockage many years ago. Complete lack of interest in food and water will also tell me he's had enough.

Speaking of interest in food, Stimpy is right back at the kibble dish as I write this. It's the third trip in about five hours. Adorable little guy is determined to keep going. Who am I to say he can't be allowed to do so? I've just given him the ferret-size dose of famotidine (brand name Pepcid AC). A lot of vets recommend you keep the stuff around, and in Stimpy's case I'm glad I did. He was prescribed it (although it's OTC) when he had his blockage to decrease inflammation of his intestinal tract. Once the inflammation goes down, it makes it a lot easier to pass the blockage.

In Stimpy's case he managed to pass it even before he'd absorbed his first dose, but the vet recommended keeping him on it for the full ten days anyway. It's not a drug that's likely to cause permanent harm. It has been known to cause food sensitivities in humans, which likely translates to ferrets as well, since decreasing acid production means undigested proteins make it into the intestinal tract and lodge there. Stimpy is far beyond worries of food sensitivities at this point, I'd say. From what I've read of it, it does not have a detrimental effect on kidneys, so it should be safe in that regard.

I've given Pepcid AC to Stimpy now, because it will help him pass his next stool more easily. It also impedes acid production, which will help with the ulcer end of things. It's an inexpensive drug with a lot of uses.

I'm sure Stimpy wasn't too thrilled to be attacked by Pepper last night, either. Pepper is more aggressive, and will be until he's neutered and the hormones have flushed out of his system, but I think there was more to it than that. Animals will attack other animals in a pack if they're sick and weak. Often with the intent to kill. So, when Stimpy is in his sick stages he has to be closely watched. He was rescued in seconds, but Pepper had a really good clamp on the back of his neck. He didn't pierce the skin, thankfully, but it was indented for a while. It's a good thing ferrets have thicker skin than humans. My daughter had the joy of prying his jaws apart, giving him the opportunity to clamp down on her finger as well. I don't think he drew blood this time.

Pepper has calmed considerably since he came to live with us, so it's very rare for him to get in a good nip, and despite his sex drive he hasn't been too bad with going after Stimpy. I'm sure if we had a different living situation where at least one of us wasn't home at all times, Pepper would have been neutered some time ago. It just didn't seem vital until the whole thing came about with other tenants in the building taking issue with the smell.

Again, it's the same tenants who are illegally smoking in the hallways, and who are also allowing their cats to roam free in the halls potentially passing illnesses onto other animals and allowing them to piss and spray wherever they want. Do I sound bitter? I am. The smell of a ferret will not hurt a living soul, but cigarettes are listed as Class A carcinogens by the Ontario government.

Part of the problem I face there has to do with the fact that the owners are smokers themselves. They don't smell how bad it is, but they can smell my ferret because they're not used to it. I'm used to Pepper's aroma, and although it is a bit pungent it isn't life-threatening. I used to be a smoker, but quit years ago, and now I can't stand the smell of it. There's nothing worse than a non-smoker, I know, for advocating non-smoking, but the law is the law. They're not supposed to be smoking in the building's public areas.

I wonder if I'll ever get over the anger of this smoking thing. I'm stuck getting my ferret fixed at the worst possible time, financially, possibly making things worse for my ferret who has cancer because I might not be able to give enough resources to him. Granted, I'll do what I have to do there. If I thought I could get the money trolling on the street for Johns I'd probably consider it, but we can hope things don't go that far wrong. My boys need what they need, and we're certainly not going to be any better off if I allow us to be evicted.

Letting any of my pets go to other homes is simply not an option. If there comes a time where I really can't look after them, I would have no choice, but until then I'll fight tooth and claw for them. They don't deserve to be given away just because times get tough. I don't agree with it, or believe in it, and if I ever had to do it, I think it would be the end of me as a decent human being. There would be nothing left of who I am.

On the positive side, I've just found out from a Kurzweil AI newsletter that there have been good results from treating lymphoma with nano-particles. I'm going to do some research about it first, and then possibly see if they're willing to give him an injection. These nano-particles are used as a replacement for chemotherapy, so I just might be able to get some free treatment. Not likely, but since ferrets are used to test flu vaccines, it stands to reason Stimpy would be a good place for them to try it out.

They're already using it on mice that have the human tumour. Stimpy certainly can't be any worse off. I'm not a proponent of animal testing, but for him it's like trying an experimental drug, the same way it is for human, except this isn't even a drug. I'm sure it's a shot in the dark, but I'll take the chance. It's better than not doing anything. I'm contacting the main researcher involved, as I've already located his contact information. One benefit of being a writer, is the ability to research things.