My last ferret is approaching 7 and I think is sick.  I'm preparing myself for the worst, though we haven't been to the vet yet.  I'll take him next week if he hasn't turned around.  I'm spending hundreds a month on vet care for my really old dogs at the moment and I don't foresee me taking extreme measures for the ferret, though I love him and want his remaining time to be comfortable.  I don't fear the death of my pets so much as I fear them suffering and me being powerless to help.  So usually when my pets appear to be suffering and the vets say there's not much left to do, I opt for euthanasia.  

I'm just curious where others stand on it.  Do you think it's more humane to let them expire at home (with vet care, of course), if they're not really in agony?  I think my sister thinks I turn to euthanasia too soon sometimes, though the pets are always elderly, ill, I've spent a bunch on vets and I'm near the end of my rope when I do make the decision.  I've only let one pet die at home, a hamster, and that was kind of awful.  

I haven't given up on the ferret, either.  He's only seemed sick a few days, though he's had a balding back for a few months.  He has only seemed to eat, drink and cuddle less the last few days.  He feels a little warm and is sleeping more.  I started adding melatonin to his soup about a week ago but he started shunning it so I tasted the melatonin and it's gross.  It's liquid and I assumed tasteless but no- it's got alcohol, sweeteners and citrus flavoring.  I'll pick up some pills to crush today to use instead.  This morning he made a little cry while pooping and his poop was an off color and texture-- loose and grainy and a little green.  Last night when I put him in his cage he drank for the longest time, though he always has water handy.  I've never seen him guzzle water like that.  Maybe it was the little bit of gross melatonin/chicken soup but he ate it the first few days.  He's been eating DFS kibble plus soup (chicken only, daily) for many years, with Ferretone as a daily treat.  

Thanks for your thoughts on any of this!  You've been so helpful in the past with our ferret health dilemmas and I respect your opinions.

Have you taken him to a vet for a check-up?  The balding is indicative of adrenal disease, which might also explain the wimpers when he goes to the bathroom.

But to answer your other question, our family prefers taking the ferret to the vet for euthanasia.  In our opinion, it is a restful passing, as opposed to a more stressful and possible painful one.

Thanks for the reply.  As I said, I'm taking him to the vet next week.  

It helps to hear that others also feel that euthanasia isn't cheating them of some restful, home death.  I don't want them to suffer.  And if he's worse next week and the vet says he is suffering and there's nothing we can do, I need to be in the frame of mind to make the decision that's right for him and us.  Not that it might happen that fast but you never know.  He seems to be declining quickly, now his back legs seem to be extra weak, but at least I got him to eat two bowls of watery soup today.  

I agree with Snapper.  & is getting older, but if adrenal is is only isue you might be able to keep him around a while longer.  
Melatonin will help with some of the clinical signs, but in my experience it takes oral melatonin a month to show effect.  Other treatment options are lupron and Suprelorin implants.  In Florida I had to search around to find a vet that could get either, but I found that costs varied quite a bit.
If oyu have a good vet, euthanasia is ok, but you have to make that decision based on quality of life.  Chronic pain that can't be relieved is one reason.    We have an almost 9 year old, blind and deaf, that we can't bear to put down because she keeps showing signs of life, if you know what i mean.  She doesn't appear to be in any pain. She's the oldest ferret Dar and I have ever had.

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Thank you!  I would completely base the decision on quality of life.  I think my ferret vet is good but it's always hard to get a "when should I" answer out of vets, in my experience.  And they often can't seem to really tell the animal's pain level.  I guess in the end I will just have to go with my own gut instinct and not second guess it.  I'm dreading it because my last ferret I had to have him put down pretty young but I guess with this one he at least had a long, healthy life, so maybe it won't be as gut wrenching.  I hope.  

You know your ferret better than your vet.  You will see changes in behavior and activity level, and appetite.  I was referring to your vet's euthanasia technique.  My last vet just administered an OD of morphine so they just went to sleep.  I had another vet that put a port in the front leg, then brought the ferret out to me before the final injection.  I asked to be with Rocky when the deed was done, but if I had known she was gonna traumatize him by putting a port in I would have taken him elsewhere.  That was the last time I went there.
Some vets use a heart stick.  A friend had a vet miss the heart and the poor fuzzy about lost his mind.  Ask your vet what technique s/he uses and decide if you are ok with it.  We have allowed some to pass at home.  I have some medical training and my vet allowed me to administer pain meds (Buprenorphine) at home so they were more comfortable up to the end.

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Oh, I haven't asked about methods but I'm in a large city and like my exotic vet and trust him.  I couldn't watch.  I had nightmares for a year after being in the room when I had a dog put down.  Maybe I'll ask to be in the room and have my hand on him for comfort but look away.  I think my own anxiety about it might make it worse for the animal, too, though.  

He actually seems much better today but I'll take him in for an exam this week regardless.  I still think he's probably battling adrenal disease or something.  I started him on pill-form melatonin today, too.

My ferret seemed better early in the week but again with not eating later on, so I took him in Friday afternoon.  I should've asked for my old vet.  I got some 20-something new one at the exotic animal hospital I use.  She said "My concern with chicken soup in their diet is the sodium."  I said, "I make it.  It's just chicken, nothing else."  "Oh, I thought it was Campbells."  Seemed odd.  She didn't remark on me giving melatonin.    

Anyway, they recommended $675 of tests and mentioned $250ish for an implant if it's indeed adrenal.  I about fainted at the tests estimate.  They said they'd do the implant without tests but since there's no telling if that's his problem it may not help.  I can't spend $900 on a 7-year-old ferret, or $250 on a shot-in-the-dark that might help him live another year.  I spent thousands on my last ferret and he died anyway at age 2.  I can't do this again.  

Do you guys pay that much for tests and implants?  

the test may be the Tennessee Panel, which tests to 6 hormones related to adrenal disease.  they can be indicative but not diagnostic of adrenal disease.
Oral melatonin is cheap, but you have to be pretty faithful with it to get results.  If you get results with it, you can try lupron.  If that works, Suprelorin/deslorelin (prob the $250 implant should work, and may be good up to a year.  I cant tell you how much any of it would cost because it all depends on each vet. I'm not going to tell you to spend thousands on a 7 year old ferret.  That's up to you, but we'd at least try the implant.

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Thanks for your opinion and info!  I feed him soup daily so as long as he's eating (so far, most days he is) I can get melatonin in him.  I don't know if it's too late, if it takes a month or more.  Between the pills and the liquid he'd been getting it daily or nearly daily for 3 weeks, I'd guess.  It doesn't seem to be helping.  He's thin and often shakey and sleepy (more than normal).  I might call some other exotic vets and ask for implant estimates but it sounds like $250 isn't crazy high, if no one here has balked.  

Just an update--  My ferret started eating normally and otherwise acting normally and not acting sick about a week ago.  I'm really relieved and hope it lasts.  I don't know if the melatonin kicked in or what.  He still has a balding back.  He kind of did a 180 one day, though.  Like I went to work one day with a sick ferret and came home to a well one that was very happy about feeling better.  Maybe he was sick from the weird ingredients in the suspension melatonin I started him on.  

me unclejoe ! All Forums

I'm glad he's doing better.  After 7 yo we take every day they're with us as a blessing.   Give him lots of lovin

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