Emmett has his wings...

[Deleted]

So, I'm not even sure how to start this one. At the moment I am rather numb, which is the only reason I am able to actually write this. I am sure I'll be adding to this thread for my own sake as things come to me that I wish to never forget. And I'll be writing a reply to this post myself to describe what happened to my poor baby, something that we all should maybe discuss further as it makes no sense.

Tonight, my Emmett crossed the Rainbow Bridge to be with his brother Gir. Emmett was my first ferret, MY ferret, my Heart Ferret! My BF and I had always wanted pets, we are both true animal lovers and neither of us want skin-kids, but I am sadly allergic to almost all animals so we didn't have any at first. My BF thought maybe we should try ferrets, so when we happened to hit up a Petco (we didn't ever buy anything, there was no need, we just liked the feeling of a pet store) we would look at the fert babies. Then one day one baby caught my eye. He was beautiful, all white and silver with are large silver dot on his head and a little black dot on his nose. I was in love! We played with said baby, and with the little sable that showed us some attention as well. But ultimately, we decided against getting any. A few days later, my BF showed up at my work and oddly sat at my outside bar. When I went to bring him a beer he had the strangest smile on his face, then the next thing I know, he plopped the little silver baby on my bartop! I was elated! We wanted to give him a name asap, and my BF had recently been talking about the Jim Hensen show 'Emmett Otter and the Jugtime Band', and so Emmett got his name! (And of course we went back the very next week and got the sable that played with us and that my BF was in love with - who I named Bandit - so Emmett would have a playmate!) Even though Emmett was our first baby, he has always been the low man on the totem pole. Sometimes it bugged him, but overall I think he was OK with it. He quickly became so sweet and loving he was Momma's sweetheart . Emmett has always been the athlete, so lean and healthy with the most beautful thick coat. He was the best climber of the group, and I believe the smartest. He was just always so good at figuring things out. He was the first to learn the 'arm elevator' - when you put your arm down to a fert and they wrap their front legs around them to be picked up. He also liked the Mommavator - wrapping onto Momma's arm when she sticks it into the cage to wake babies up so Momma will give them a 'lift' to the floor thus the breakfast. He was always so sweet with this. Emmett was very much like his Momma in that he always had to take a few minutes to wake up and would laze around in bed. That is, until Momma came to the rescue and gave into the Mommavator. And when I'd pull him out he'd always stretch his back legs out and throw his tail up in the air as I'd lay him on my shoulder. I will very much miss this morning routine of ours Emmett's favorite things in the world are plastic bottles, any size. All you'd have to do is unscrew the top and he'd be by your side in a flash giving you the 'prairie dog', even if he was dead asleep. And you HAD BETTER give him that bottle or he'd stalk you til you did. His favorite places to sleep were under the cage (next to all of his stashed bottles of course) or in the pirate ship 'hammy'. His favorite treats were peanut butter, apples, bananas, grapes, milk, soda, and ferretone (though of course some of these he got ONLY because he is so smart and got to them on his own and of course he still liked them and begged for them even though they made him sick). Emmett was always very skitish and loud noises really scard him, but he LOVED going outside. And even though he hated baths and being in water, he was the ONLY baby to actually JUMP in a pond, AND on his first outing outside! I was TERRIFIED yet so happy to see him so free. At first, Gir and Emmett didn't get along, but at the end of Gir's life, he and Emmett became close friends. I suppose it seems fitting that he followed his brother up to heaven in the same manner. I just wish it hadn't been so soon after.

Emmett, Emmy, Emmalimadingdong, Ding Dong, dot nose...

I love you my baby! You have taken a great peice of my heart with you and the large paw-shaped hole you left on it will always ache. You were MY baby, my heart ferret, and I will miss you so! Dook on and wardance in the sky with you little brother Gir. I wish for you all the happiness in the world and endless rivers of tone!

DIP Emmett
March 2009 - September 2012

[Deleted]

So I need to write about what led to Emmett's crossing of the Bridge so others can maybe help me understand what went wrong.

Earlier tonight, well, I guess last night now, my BF got home from work at noticed Emmett walkiing a little strangely. He watched him closely and noticed a few times that he appeared to try to go potty but couldn't. Considering that we just lost Gir to kidney stones a little over a month ago and he showed this same symptom, Derrick rushed Emmy to the ER. He called me at work, I left, and then everything became very black. As it turns out, Emmett had the SAME KIDNEY STONES. This may not seem odd, but BOTH of my boys had HUNDREDS of kidney and bladder stones and BOTH had COMPLETELY blocked urethras and BOTH had their ureters blocked my a MASSIVE kidney stone. We were told that Gir's situation was completely one-of-a-kind and that the stones were so severe it had to be genetic. And now Emmett, 1 year Gir's senior has the SAME EXACT ISSUES. There is NO WAY this is coincidence. Both Emmett and Gir were my HEALTHIEST babies, perfect ferret specimens according to my vet. It just doesn't make any sense.

I want to add that we chose to help Emmett cross the Bridge tonight, that he didn't just die of this problem. It killed me to make this decision, especially since he was so bright-eyed at the end. But we were told that he was in the same situation as Gir, and we spent thousands giving Gir a PT and keeping him in the ER for his final days in so much pain to maybe give him a chance to learn that there was absolutely no way to save him as his ureters were too severely blocked and his kidneys were failing. We were told that it MIGHT have been possible to put Emmett through the same surgery and remove the kidney that was the worst off, but we were given a poor prognosis either way, and even then if he survived all the torture of the sugeries he would undergo there was no telling when he would block up with the stones again. Basically, we would just put him through h*ll to maybe keep him alive and with us for just a bit longer. We decided that wasn't what was in HIS best interest, so we decided, after MUCH deliberation, to let Emmett go without all the pain and suffering his brother Gir endured. The sad thing is, the 2 ferret knowledgable vets were all but unavailable, especiallyl considering that it is Labor day weekend. However, the vet that put Gir to sleep and gave him his surgeries was eventuallly contacted and told of Emmett's situation and she 'sent her sincerest condolences' - basically, she was telling us to let Emmett go. But still, I wanted her or our usual vet to actually see Emmett and tell me to my face that all was lost before I made such a hard decision as to euthanize him. But we didn't know when would have that chance and Emmett was so uncomfortable and in pain because he couldn't urinate and his insides hurt. We just couldn't let him go all night into today to wait for someone to basically tell us what we were already told. Part of me still feels like we gave up too soon, but what were we to do when our baby was in so much pain??? I feel horrible about our decision. There might have been a chance he could have survived the surgery to take out the stones in his bladder, and the catheter into his urethra, and the PT, and the kidney removal, but how long and how much pain would he have been in? And would his last kidney keep him alive? And would he live a normal life? These were the questions we were faced with, and all I wanted was someone to tell me that Yes or NO, he did or didn't have a decent chance at life, but no one would give me that answer and we were left making the horrible decision we had to make. Did we make the right decision??? I just don't know, and the What IF will kill me for life.

[Deleted]

The cremation service will be here soon to pick up Emmett's body. I keep crying, but I also feel so numb. I don't know what to make of all of this. I'm so scard it's all going to hit me at one time soon. And I can't quit shaking. THis is just too much all at the same time. Did we make the right decision??......

[Jeremy's Boggle]

I think after what happened with Gir you made the best decision for Emmett. I truly don't believe in putting an animal though painful treatments unless there is a good chance of a full recover. He knows your decision was made out of love.

So sorry for your loss. DIP Emmett.

[Deleted]

So sorry for your loss. Dip Emmett

[acodlin]

I wish I had answers for you. I lost Anks only a couple of days ago and she was my heart ferret. My heart aches for you. Its a terrible situation and you made the choice that was best for him try not to keep asking your self what if and why. It brings you no closure or relief. I keep asking myself those questions and it doesnt help..DIP little emmy. Give all of our babies at the bridge a big kiss from us.

[Sherry]

OMG, I am so very, very sorry . I am sitting here in tears reading this. Although you made the right desicion for both Gir and Emmet, it's so unfair.
As to the genetic component- the were the same age, brought to the store at the same time, so it's also possible they were littermates.
As hard as it is- you DID make the right decision for BOTH of them. My heart is breaking for you right now {{{{{hugs}}}}}

[Heather]

I'm writing this now, I will be back....His travelling candle is lit. Do not under any circumstance second guess yourself. You did right by your boy. You know that there was no other way. A gentle release is a gift. The sign of ultimate love sometimes is to let go. I have lit a healing candle for you. Please, do not in any way blame yourself or make yourself feel that you should have gone further. You already knew the outcome, there was no other way for you to go. DO NOT allow that voice in the back of your mind make you feel terrible. You did right by your wee one, you loved him and he knew it.
ciao

[Deleted]

Thank you all for your kind words.

@sherry - I think I might have written something confusing, but Emmett and Gir weren't littermates, Emmett and Bandit were. Emmett was almost exactly 1 year older than GIr. Which to me sounds like this couldn't have been a coincidence. We are thinking it must be their food. It has to be something they are ingesting, and the only things they are all ingesting on a regular basis are food, water, and olive oil. I doubt the EVOO had anything to do with this, and if there was something with the water other ferrets in our area would be having the same problem, and just like with Gir we are being told that Emmett is a singular (well, now, one of only 2) cases as no one has ever seen anything like this, stones in such quantities and size. Which is why I wanted to bring this up to everyone on here...

Our boys started out on Marshall's like all Marshall's babies. We quickly switched them to Zupreem. Then we switched them to EVO Ferret. Then when we began to think Bandit was having allergies, our vet put them on Hills Prescription d/d venison for Cats. THen when that food started becoming wierd we switched them to Hills Prescription z/d. Then Bandit started getting worse, so we put them on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Rabbit for Cats, which is what they have been on for 5 months or so now. The first 2 switches were slow. The last 3 switches took place over about a 5 month period (not by choice, but by reasons that would take too long to explain here). Wanted to know if this struck a cord with anyone, and what everyone's thoughts were on this issue as we have recently been discussing the fact that more and more ferrets are getting 'crystals'. If these foods are going to be deadly to ferrets I want all ferrents to know what they are getting themselves into.

Also, another reason I feel horrible about everything is that since Gir passed I have noticed that Emmett's pee pottys have been rather hefty. He didn't drink as much water as Gir did, but he tended to pee a lot. I should have known better after Gir and took Emmett in earlier. I know it probably wouldn't have made a difference with only a months time to try to help his issues as there were SO MANY stones, but again, that d*mn What If keeps rearing it's ugly head. Needless to say, we aren't taking any more chances and are getting our boys xrayed asap to see if all of them have this same problem, and to see if they do if there is anything we can do for them to prevent losing them like Emmett and Gir.

I just have a really hard time believing this is a coincidence, even though the vet tonight felt a coincidence is more likely than something environmental.

[Deleted]

Sorry that first bit was so brief - I really do appreciate the kind words and healing thoughts sent our way, it really means a lot to me. It helps to know others out there care about me and mine and it helps my aching heart a bit to know I'm not alone.

[Deleted]

acodlin - I am so very sorry about your baby Anks! Just so many broken hearts here of late But all our lost ones must be so very happy now, together and permanently free-range with all the tone and ice cream and fruit they can scarf down.

[Deleted]

what type of water are they getting ? City, well or bottled ? I use reverse osmasis bottled water. Also you can add apple cider vinegar to their water - this can change the acidy of the urine - I read about this in a book from the 1950's the person did several studies how cider vinegar can be healthy for animals and humans. I can not find the book - sorry.

[miamiferret2]

Do not beat yourself up over this. You did the right thing for him by not letting him suffer. i am very sorry for your loss.
About the EVO, i am increasingly hearing more stories of stones from people who feed this food and in particular in the past year. Does this have something to do with the fact that they switched to peas and pea starch? It is possible. Recently on one of the facebook groups there was a veterinarian (who i did not agree with on his dietary views, but that is another story) this vet's main criticism of EVO was the peas/ pea starch due to the potential for development of stones.

[Deleted]

I am very sorry, Ferreholic. I am w/you in thinking it would be a very strange coicedence, indeed, that they both had so many stones.
Boozie, I too use filtered water but my understanding of reverse osmosis water is that it removes everything and you have to put the minerals back in. Do you do that? I would go further in my quest for the best water system if indeed reverse osmosis wasn't so darn complicated.
As for the ACV, I am a total believer in it's health benefits and drink it daily myself, give it to my dogs and I have recently started experimenting on giving it to the weasels. So far it doesn;t appear that they prefer the bowl without acv to the one with. I have been slowly increasing the amount.
Anyway, ferreholic, your a good ferrent and should have no guilt but certainly don't shrug everything off as coincidence if your gut tells you differently.
Peace little Emmett. You are in very good company at the Bridge.

[Deleted]

Oh my gosh, I am so so sorry ;(

You did the right thing - you are an amazing ferrant to be selfless enough to give him release.

On the topic of the stones, do you know what kind of stones Gir and now Emmett had? Are they the same kind?

What food was Gir on the longest, and what food was Emmett on the longest?