Strider Sick Again...

[ordinarygirl]

Oh no I'm so sorry to hear of Strider's passing. You were SUCH a good mommy to him and I know you're sad and you feel horrible but please please please do not be sad because you couldn't help him. You did SO much for him and you did a LOT more (I'm sorry to say) then some others would have.

It's the worse when you have to make that decision and some vets won't let you in because they do stick them in the heart and they don't want to put you through it but I insisted with Maya to be with her and so they put a tiny gas mask on her so she went to sleep - they took her out back to do that and then I went in and when I was ready that's when they gave her the injection. Then the mask fogged up and she was gone

Okay I'm gonna cry now so just know that everyone here knows what you are going through and sometimes that just helps - you will never be judged or scorned for helping a ferret to the bridge when they had a history like you and Strider did.

As far as a buddy - that's up to you and Isis. I was looking two weeks after Roxy Heart died and found Maya - Gabby was like 'meh - she's not Roxy' but they ended up being really good friends....and it had more to do with Maya needing a home then us needing Maya at the time (she was found in a box with 9 other ferrets)

Regarding the clean up - I think for santitary reasons it's good to clean - I bawled when I cleaned up after Maya - and I didn't wash her blankets for a long while. I kept them a paper bag by the washer but couldn't bring myself to wash them. Then we were moving so I HAD to wash them or throw them away and I of course could not throw them away so I took them from the bag and held them to my face and I could NOT smell anything anymore. I was so sad. I wanted them to smell like her still but too much time had passed.

But ferrets have a much stronger sense of smell than we do and sometimes I think it's best to clean up so that Isis doesn't get a whiff and is looking for Strider

I'm so very sorry for your loss and I have nothing but good wishes and hugs for you and Isis.

[boby]

I'm sad to read this. I hope you recover soon. I am sure your little one knew how much you loved him.

[Dingo]

Gentle hugs from me; I know you're feeling totally awful right about now.

Ferrets can be fragile little things that seem to get blown over by the slightest breeze or they can be the super tough types that seem to take all the knocks and come up fighting time and time again. Over the years I've had ferrets from both camps and there have been months where I have lost several ferrets in succession with very little warning and then stretches for up to three years where I haven't lost anyone.

I absolutely think you did the right thing in letting him slip away gently. I've never been an advocate of drastic medical intervention, the 'But We Must Do Something!' syndrome. Yes, the fancy medical intervention is available these days but I wonder at what cost to the ferret in terms of discomfort and pain. The fact that it is available doesn't necessarily make it the wisest course of action.

I did have surgery done for one of my young ferrets once years ago. After pain and discomfort for him and $1,000 later he died a miserable death in my arms some six weeks later after being rushed back to my vet's office which was some two hours drive from home. All the way to the vet's office during that long drive he was gasping for breath and I know he was in severe pain. I vowed after that episode that I would never allow another of my ferrets to suffer as Stuart did.

Again, hugs from me - and thank you for for being such a good advocate for your Strider.

[Katiebug]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Given the circumstances, it was a raw deal all the way around. I think you did the right thing. It's so hard to do that, I know. I've been there several times. Just know he's no longer suffering. Hugs.

[unclejoe]

I agree with katiebug. It's so hard to let go, but you did what you had to for Strider. He couldn't make that decision for himself.
I hope you're doing better.
I've always had new fuzzies come into my life after losing one. Even tho I know that sometime down the road I'll have to deal with illness and loss again, I take them in anyway.