Sweet Little Jeffrey

[Deleted]

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This is the first picture I ever took of my sweet Jeffrey. He was our second ferret. We went into the pet store one day to get goodies for Dexter, saw this guy, and knew he had to come home with us The vet guessed his age to be around 3 months, and boy was he tiny! Just a skinny little thing, with his hip bones sticking out, but we figured he would put on weight pretty quickly once we got him home. He was such a snuggler! He slept all the time, and loved curling up on my chest for long naps Oh, and the kisses! He gave the sweetest kisses, he would look up with big eyes and lick my chin for minutes on end



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We only got to enjoy his sweet love for less than 2 months before the worst happened I walked into his and Dexter's room to let them out for playtime and found Jeffrey laying in bed, eyes wide open. He whimpered as I picked him up His little body was just limp in my arms. It was the weekend so my regular vet's office was closed, so I frantically called the back-up clinic. Thankfully, their exotic vet was in that day, so I jumped in the car and drove like a maniac. The vet saw him immediately, but we already knew it was too late. He had messed himself on the drive there, and it was black and tarry He had no blink reflex and his heartbeat was irratic. They took x-rays and started him on fluids, but not long after his heart stopped and within a matter of minutes he had stopped breathing. The vet said he most likely had helicobacter, which caused ulcers in his stomach that eventually ruptured. It suddenly made sense why his energy had always been so low and he'd remained so thin and tiny. I felt so horrible that my baby had been sick and I hadn't even known

It's been about a month now and my heart still aches for my dear sweet Jeffrey. I miss his tender little kisses and his big dark eyes. He was taken from us far too soon But I try and focus on his last day with us- he was the happiest and most energetic we'd ever seen him. He was hopping and running all around the house, playing tag with us and dooking nonstop Losing him still hurts, but it warms my heart to know that on his last day, he was the happiest little ferret on earth

I love you so much, Jeffrey, my little bear <3



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[rebel135]

So sorry for your lose my dook in peace

[Deleted]

I'm so sorry about your loss. He really was a beautiful little boy. DIP

[Heather]

My message is two....
First...I'm sooo sorry. I will light a travelling candle for your little one. So, tiny..so young The wee ones have special places, they are greeters, they welcome those that have found the need to travel on. Your wee one is even more special because he got the privilege to earn his heartkey too. So many of these little ones never get that chance. He was so special that he was called to return sooner than many. Gentle journey little one....you are so missed.

Secondly....I'm so angry (and not at you, please understand that)
Is this wee kit a Marshals? Do you have his paperwork? They owe you a kit. This is the one time that you can demand they stand good on their policies. They have a one year warrantee on all their kits. This is so wrong. This is a typical example of the stress that these little ones endure. To die so young and needlessly. Don't let this little one die needlessly....try and get set one of his wee brother's free.

As far as your little one. I lost a 4 yr old fuzz to the same thing. He and I had been playing a rousing game of chase and dook before I went to work. I got home to find him curled up and practically unresponsive and lying in a pool of liquid black stool. My vet is an hour away from me. My wee one passed away in my arms, before I could even get hold of the answering service. A perforated ulcer in his bowel....it's a common death for IBD fuzz. Heartbreaking and it doesn't matter how fast you can get them to emerg....they bleed out so fast. I'm sorry that you had to endure this, especially with a kit.
ciao

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and support, it really is appreciated
Heather- I believe he was a Marshalls, I got him from a PetCo in my area and he had the tattoos on his ears. The store didn't give me any paperwork on him when I got him, is it possible to get this after the fact? I know Marshalls has a guarantee on their kits, but I don't know any of the details and wasn't sure if something like this would be covered. That would make my heart so glad, to know that I could give another baby the chance Jeffrey never had. Maybe the store I got him from keeps records on hand? You would think so....I may pay them a visit. It never occurred to me, but I would hate to pass up a chance to make this right.

[Heather]

I would go at this softly. Ask to speak either to the manager or even the owner. Make is sound like you would rather chase Marshals than them. Do you still have your proof of purchase for this wee one. You can say that the paperwork was never forthcoming. Even as a rescue, I got Minion's paperwork (for what it's worth because I signed a release stating that I would not come back on either the distributor or the pet store) You may get more assistance with going at it in this manner than going at them hard and hot and making them the responsible party (which in a way they are, you can't tell me that they sold this kit without some idea that he was already sick) Again, I'm not blaming you, but that cute second pic with him sleeping on you....that's a pic of a very sick ferret. Again....don't set this with you....I've seen a lot of very sick wee ones, I run a hospice...there are things you look for. I would go in and tell them this ferret died of an ulcerated colon (now, I don't suppose that your vet did an autopsy (I know wrong word but these little ones are furkids). This might make things more difficult but if you can get your ferret vet and possibly another in the your vets clinic to say that this ferret died of these circumstances and this ferret died by no negligence on your part it would go a long way to help your cause. One thing, you may have to go out and buy some Marshals supreme to prove you were feeding marshals foods (I know, I know but it's part of the warrantee) You have to have a proof of food ( I believe it's a UPC code they ask for). Ask for Petco's assistance to get you a new ferret (they can probably assist you in contact information) Doing it this way, you're holding Marshals responsible and you may be able to get Petco to help you get a replacement ferret.
Good luck. Don't let Marshals get away with this. Go after them.
ciao

[Deleted]

I'm so sorry for your loss!

I only know too well the pain of losing a baby... my ex's ferret who was also tiny and blind (which took us a while to figure out) had a seizure one night and died, we'd only had him a few months. I'm pretty sure he was a Marshall's baby too, although we didn't know about the guarantee then and this was years ago now. My ex wouldn't have gotten a new ferret anyway; he wanted to surrender MY baby ferret Taz! I said no way and we broke up shortly after. Taz lived to be just shy of 7 yrs old, and I'm now happily married and ferret-mom to 5 more ferts and foster-mom to two senior ladies.

[Deleted]

Hey again Heather, Didn't see your advice before I left for the pet store, but it actually went ok. They gave me a little bit of grief about not having a receipt, but I knew the exact date I got him and I have a rewards card on file with them, so they were able to look it up that way. Got the certificate sent from Marshalls for Jeffrey (and his brothers and sisters), and a printed proof of purchase. Now just to deal with Marshalls....I looked up more info on their guarantee and it says it specifically excludes bacterial conditions....would this be considered something like that? I guess it's worth a try anyway. I have a printed report that the vet who tried to treat Jeffrey wrote up, and could probably get her to join the cause.

You said you could tell from the second picture that he was sick--could you tell me the indicators that you see? I'd like to learn so that I know for future reference what to look for, so that if something like this ever happens again, heaven forbid, I'm more prepared. If it's that obvious, it makes me wonder why my vet didn't catch it- I took Jeffrey in for a complete exam and he said he was perfectly healthy It may be time to look for another vet......

[Heather]

You're going to need your vet's help on this one because Marshals can be prigs about this. Marshals want their whole refund thing to be strictly about genetics. They don't want to take any responsibility for how the ferrets are treated after they leave the facility. According to them "IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM" BULLSH*T...sorry this really ticks me off. You will have to raise a bit of a stink probably. Start up soft but be prepared to escalate (you don't have a friend who's a lawyer?? ). Your vet is going to have to prepare a report about how this was probably not bacterial that no kit should have died of an ulcerated colon at that age. That he had a clean bill of health and when the kit got it and you were careful with the wee ones care (I don't know what they're going to require specifically, you will have to find out but they are or can be a pain if they think they can get around your vet). I'm just hoping they don't get funky about the lack of autopsy....hopefully they will be just willing to accept his word about the whole ordeal.
Don't blame your vet for not picking it up. I'm looking at very twisted feet, pulled tight in sleep (yes they do sleep with their feet curled up but not contracted). A head that has a rather sunken look around the eyes and lids. There is little muscular growth around the shoulders and legs. There are two things that points to, just from observations...I'm not a vet....a kit that has been pulled away too young and is having difficulty absorbing nutrients or an older ferret with the same issue. Your description of the amount of sleeping is also disturbing for his age. He should have been a little whirlwind, going for hours at a time. It's nothing you could have picked up on, not unless you have had ferrets for years and a considerable number of them too. Your vet was looking at a kit, who in all senses of the word appeared to come up healthy. His inability to put on weight at his age and the lack of growth would also be a key to a bowel issue. Kits grow so fast at this age that they appear to grow by the day.
I really hope you get Marshals good. They deserve it
ciao

[Deleted]

Ok, now that I know what to look for I see what you mean. Poor thing, I didn't know that any of that (contracted feet, low muscle tone, etc.) was out of the normal I mean, having heard about Marshals negligence and the varying conditions in pet stores, I wasn't expecting him to look perfect from the start. Now that I look back on it, that was foolish of me, but never having seen a kit before, I didn't have any basis for comparison. I assumed he just needed lots of love and some decent food. Even if he was doomed from the start, I'm still glad I got him, I just wish I had known he was sick so I could have been proactive. Maybe it would have made the difference.

Marshalls is definitely going to be receiving a not-so-pleasant call from me. Even if they don't end up honoring their guarantee, I can at least make sure they hear me loud and clear and are well aware of the suffering they cause their ferrets. Thanks for all your advice, Heather, I'll keep you updated on how things progress.

[Heather]

Thanks, please do keep us updated.
ciao

[Deleted]

I am so sorry...dip

[miamiferret2]

I'm so sorry for your loss. he was a beautiful boy. I know that it is no consolation, because losing them so young is just awful. but at least he knew love in his short life.

[miamiferret2]

i see what appear to be scats and a prolapsed rectum in one of the pics. was he having diarrhea? the problem is that these ferrets will often eat the bedding and the fluffy cotton like "litter" that they use at the petco's. the reason is that they are not weaned. they should never be taken from their moms so early. the petco's will feed them dry food (they are supposed to rehydrate that nasty marshall kibble but most of them won't). this makes the problem worse. one of my vets is the contracted vet for the local petco. they take their sick animals to him. he told me that he sees SO many baby ferrets with stomach problems and blockages from that food and from the bedding /litter that they swallow!
I am not so sure that the vet's diagnosis was correct in your case. did you ask for a necropsy?

[ally09]

So sorry for your loss, that is just awful. D.I.P Sweet Boy. <3