Oct. 31 2003, My little Rocky aged about 5 1/2 years old passed away at the vet's office. He'd been feeling sick this week and I'd had him at the vet on Monday. They had him on amoxicillin and a substance called Kaolin to help control his diarrhea. He was not feeling better and today I had to rush him back to the vet. I could see it in his eyes and lack of actions that he was feeling bad. He'd been fighting with unformed stools since last December and he'd been on antibiotics several times. Each time he would recover and put weight back on, but the unformed stools still persisted. The vet treated for helicobactor and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
I didn't worry a whole lot about the loose stools because I'd heard that after infections in the GI tract, that it can sometimes take up to a year for the intestines to heal completely. Also my other ferret Miyagi had unformed stools for a long time and he had recovered completely although he is slowing down. He's 8 years old now and that is old. I should have worried more than I did. Rocky seemed to be fine except for the unformed stools. He ate as normal and played normally. He did seem to be slightly underweight, but I thought that he had inflammatory bowel disease and with that, foods just don't absorb like they should. The weight would come back somewhat when I fed him the "Duck Soup" mixture. I never suspected cancer.
I'd taken Rocky to work with me everyday this past week to keep an eye on him and to feed him a mixture of Turkey baby food, Pedialyte and Ferretvite mixed together. Today was different. He started passing black tarry stools indicating that he was having internal bleeding in his stomach or upper intestinal tract. hH also started having some blood around his mouth and that is what got me rushing him to the vet from work. I dropped him off and was going to go back to work, but I broke down crying because I just had a sense that he wasn't going to make it through his illness this time. I went home and went to bed. I had the phone next to me so that I could answer it if the vet called. My husband got off work early and came home. Not too much longer after that, the vet called and told my husband that Rocky had passed away in his sleep. They had taken blood and an x-ray and the results turned up that he had Lymphoma (cancer) It had invaded his liver and spleen casuing organ failure. We picked him up tonight and bought something to bury him in and a 6 pack of raisins. We filled a treat dispencing ball full and my husband filled a little plastic Heroclix holder full of raisins. We also placed an unopened box of raisins in the little makeshift casket. Rocky loved raisins and was very serious about them. If another ferret came near him when he was getting raisins, he would scream and hiss at them. He also had a fetish for plastic and would seem to alway magically find a piece to chew on. We were forever picking him up and prying his jaws off the plastic. That's what the signifigance of the plastic heroclix holder is.
Rocky never gave up. Even after I noticed blood coming from his mouth, he still took the "Duck doup" mixture that I made for him. Even that close to the end he still accepted the food readily. He is an inspiration to us all. He never lost his zest for life until a few hours before his passing. He fought against his disease and his spirit never failed him although his body did. I will always love him and remember him as the fun loving ferret that he was.
We buried him on Saturday Nov. 1, 2003. My husband and I went out and bought a fall blooming Crysanthamum that blooms in fall colors and I planted it at the head of Rocky's grave. It represents the season that he passed away in. It starts out as a red orange blossom and when fully open it's a yellow color.
Rocky will be sorely missed by us all. He is survived by his littermate Adrienne, (5 1/2) Loki and Charon( both 6) and the senior citizen Mr. Miyagi who is 8 years old. His memory will live on in us all. Adrienne misses him something awful as she has been with him since they were kits. Fortunely she has Loki and Charon to cuddle with. She cuddles with Miyagi when I get them out together. Miyagi is housed in his own cage since he prefers to be an only ferret. Charon also bullies him and with his advanced age, Miyagi just can't fight him off like he used to.
I had the very good fortune of having Rocky and Adrienne enter my life about 3 1/4 years ago. A lady owned them before me and she had changed jobs and could not be home as much. She felt that it was best to give them up to someone who could give them a good home. She was only giving them up by referrals from a pet store where we'd gotten Loki and Charon when they were kits. The pet store told me about them on a Friday and by Sunday I picked them up and they joined our then 3 ferret household. They fit in immediately and became family. I am truly blessed to have known Rocky.
Rest In Peace my little Rock-Rock. I love you and miss you so much. My arms are emptier now when it's playtime. The house is emptier without you. Loki calls for you and looks for you when I get him and the others out to play. You were his playmate. Adrienne has been more willing to be held since you are gone. You were her cuddle buddy and could always be found asleep, cuddled together. We are all feeling the emptiness that your parting has caused. As the saying goes..... If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.
they are named in order appearing. Loki is not pictured but his tail is at the very edge :)
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