Death after desexing

[zenial]

I'm a ferret noob. I got my first two from a rescue centre and we all fell in love.

I "rescued" two more from a nearby town a week ago: two females, not desexed or given any treatment in regards for hormonal health. Fed Whiskas kitten and the daughter was too busy with school to play with her ferrets. And they had alopecia. So I took them and tried to improve their little lives. One was shy and the other outgoing.

I gave them a week to settle in and swapped their biscuits for raw soup. Yesterday when they were desexed, the vet explained the second one started to wake up during the procedure and thus, was given more anaesthetic, and that ferret wouldn't wake up until the morning. They also found a tumour on one side of the stomach of said ferret when they shaved her. I took them home at 3:30pm. She died at about 5pm, never arosed, just stopped breathing and was cold. I'd assume cardiac arrest.

I played my part. I clearly didn't have the experience required. I didn't find the tumour myself. I accepted this ferret was "shy" as the previous owner described. I wish I arranged them injections to bring them out of heat until they'd fully recovered from their life transition.

I don't want to be shy of animal rescue. Because I know how many animals are in desperate need, especially ferrets! By posting this I'm hoping some pros, rescue operators, vets will advise where the red flags are and what the timeline should have looked like so I don't hurt anyone else.

Heartbroken

[Corvidophile]

I’m sorry for your loss… Honestly I would not blame yourself, I’d blame the vet for releasing an animal under anesthesia. It’s always a risk. She should’ve been kept under observation until she woke up, in case they needed to intervene to save her. I’d find another vet for the others. You did a wonderful thing taking on rescues, and the only red flag was shyness with an outgoing partner, it could’ve been a sign she was in pain or sick with something. But sometimes, a shy ferret is just a shy ferret!

Where do you live, the UK I’m guessing from biscuits and desexed? Most of us are from the US, and it’s hard to get a ferret with their bits still attached unless you really, really want to and go find a private breeder, and those that seek them out tend to know what they’re doing enough to get them either implants, hormonal shots, or eventually neutered. You wouldn’t find them in a situation like you did, ignored and in heat. The big commercial breeders here all neuter them when they’re babies before they go to stores. It’s a mixed bag, early neutering spawns earlier set-in of adrenal disease, but it means no females die of going into heat untreated.

[unclejoe]

I'm sorry, too for your loss. One thing this forum was intended to do was to provide support, education and insight to new owners, but it is well past its prime.

Here in the States, alopecia is a classic sign of adrenal disease, and in your case I'd assume it appeared because your jills were left in heat for too long.

I had a male ferret, Eddie, one of my all-time favorites, go under anestesia for some heavy dental work and he never came out. I should have let hime finish his antibiotics before subjecting hime to such trauma. We often learn hard lessons. Keep doing your research and keep doing your best. There a number of ferret groups on facebook, including this one

holistic ferrets facebook www.facebook.com/groups/hfffb

[abbeytheferret6]

I am so sorry you lost your little one. DIP Precious.