I HAVE RE-BUILT MY WEBSITE AT ANOTHER LOCATION.
I LOST ACCESS TO 1/2 OF THIS WEBSITE DUE TO A MISPLACED PASSWORD AND
THEREFORE I CANNOT PERFORM ANY UPDATES.
FOR MY NEWEST AND UPDATED WEBSITE, PLEASE GO TO:
VIRGINIA OPOSSUM CARE

MOLLY'S SURGERY
Compliments of Brenda Ice

The following photographs dipict the removal of a fatty tumor in a female opossum named Molly.

THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM

MOLLY'S STORY:
Written By: Brenda Ice



I got a call from a police friend of mine who asked if I could take 5 little baby opossums. He worked security at one of the local middle schools and the band teacher there had brought these poor little ones to school hoping someone would know who could help her. She had found the mother, dead in her back yard with 8 little babies on her. Three died that night and she had 5 left.

I said "Where and when" and made arrangements to pick them up at the school. I grabbed my kit-you know the bag you keep ready for emergency rescues-blanket, bottled water, dropper and plastic bag for hot water--and out the door.

Twenty minutes later I was at the school looking at not five but three (two didn't make it) little opossums with injuries. They smelled so bad and looked so pitiful I was worried if these three would make until I got home.

She said she had tried to give them some food-but they wouldn't eat! Canned cat food that was part of the smell, they had it all over them!! I got them home and the first thing I did was clean them up a bit so I could find out what injuries I was looking at. There were two boys and one girl. The boys had really bad injuries in the rectal area. The teacher had told me that they had worms. Yes, they did-maggots in the wounds. I used the cleaning time to remove some and poured diluted hydrogen peroxide into the area to kill what I couldn't get.

The little girl didn't seem to have any open wounds but boy was she hungry. I was afraid to let her have too much Pedilyte--but those little hands wouldn't let go of the syringe--or my heart!! I fell in love with her at first sight. She looked at me there at that school and said -please help me! I lost the two boys -they had renal failure-the vet and I think that when the mother was hurt she tried to make it to a place where her babies could be safe and in that time the babies were still nursing on her and all the while getting bacteria and maggots in their little bodies. The girl was a bit bigger than the boys and that is probably why she survived.

This little girl was my Miss Molly Brown-so named because, if you remember your Tiantic story, she was one of the survivors.

Miss Molly was sure a survivor! Not only did she survive the trauma of her mother's death and the administrations of a human who didn't know better and then me, but because of her lack of the proper nutrition early on-she had MBD too. She eventually got better, in spite of me, but she always had a bad back leg that just wouldn't do what she wanted it too!! Later on she lost use of it and had to sort of scoot along.This really didn't seem to bother her-she just kept on keeping on as if she was just as normal as any other princess opossum!!

When she was about 6 months old she had what was the most traumatic event of her life. It was Thanksgiving and my son was visiting, with his two dogs.One of his dogs got into the room where Miss Molly was and bit her on her right arm and broke it. I can't tell you how this makes you feel, here is this sweet little girl in your care and you let a dog bite her!! I was devastated-!! It was a holiday and NO vet open!! Except the Emergency Clinic and they would not see her!! I stood there at the counter in their clinic and decided that they WERE going to see her if I had to buy the place!! Not that I had the money-but I swear I would stay there until they gave in. I kept sending the poor little receptionist back in to the vet on call until she finally gave in and decided to take a look. I think it was really the big black tech guy who took one look at my face and he knew I wasn't about to leave until someone looked at my little girl!!

After the vet met me and Miss Molly she understood why I wanted to get something done. They took x-rays-put Molly in a incubator to help her settle down and get some oxygen and gave me something for her pain and started her on antibiotics.

Have you ever tried to put a splint on a opossums leg? The NOS bible shows how it is done. Looks good on paper--doesn't work in real life-or at least it didn't for me! The only thing I could do was hold her and keep her still until Monday! Which was OK with me and seemed to be the only thing she wanted too.

That Monday morning I was at my vets with my baby and the x-ray. Dr. Smith said she would need a pin in that leg and that her shoulder was compromised too. So we scheduled a time and proceeded to put the pin in. She was a gem-she never even tried to cause a problem-came through the surgery just fine. Can't say the same for me! I don't think I slept for about three days. I watched her like a hawk to make sure she wasn't in pain-was comfortable-warm-anything!!

After that she really didn't have use of the arm-but she could use it to sort of balance with- she managed as she always did.

Molly was an extraordinary little soul. She never had fear of humans and she had every right too! Never did she even offer to bite anyone. She wanted to be near us. Her everyday bed was under my computer desk. Of course her night time bed was in my bedroom on my bed near me - naturally!!

She lived for nearly 4 ½ years. She was loved every minute of that time and the amazing part of it -was she loved us too!!

I lost her to old age and what seemed to be a heart problem. We were on the way to her vet, when something made me look over at her in her little carrier all wrapped up in fer favorite blanket, and she was looking at me all peaceful and pretty. In that moment she died.

She will never die in my heart,her beautiful little soul will forever be a part of me. Her smell, her soft fur, her little hands --everything about her will stay with me, especially that last look when she told me goodbye, and said Mom I love you.



SPAY:
(Surgical Pictorial)